Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson has admitted he's borrowing wisdom from Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk to stop his players getting carried away in their Premier League chase. The Welsh club, owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, climbed up to tenth in the Championship table on Wednesday night after beating Bristol City at home.

The Red Dragons are now just two points off the play-off spots following a run of seven league games unbeaten and after registering four clean sheets in a row. Wrexham took the lead in the 16th minute courtesy of an impressing curling strike from club-record signing Nathan Broadhead.

The away side had chances to get back into the match, but the hosts found a second goal with 16 minutes left on the clock when a George Thomason corner hit the post, before deflecting in off Robins' goalkeeper Radek Vitek. Wrexham's recent form has sparked talk in some quarters over whether an astonishing fourth successive promotion could be on the cards.

However, Parkinson has revealed how he highlighted a quote from Van Dijk to his team ahead of the game to warn his players against complacency.

The former Bolton and Sunderland manager said: "Four clean sheets on the bounce is good but we've got to earn that. I put a quote up from Virgil van Dijk after the Liverpool defeat against Forest. He spoke about how they've got to get back to the work, the first and second contacts, blocking things and all the basics.

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"I spoke to the lads because that's Liverpool's captain who's talking about the champions of this country and we've got to make sure we keep that core of our game in place because that's what's got us on this run. Defenders have been good but we've got another huge test at the weekend."

Van Dijk has been one of Liverpool's most vocal players amid the club's current woes. The Reds suffered their ninth defeat from their last 12 matches as they were beaten comfortably by PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday night, piling further pressure on Arne Slot.

Speaking on Sunday, the Dutch defender delivered a frank assessment of Liverpool's 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest.

Van Dijk said: "At the moment it is a mess - that is just a fact. We are losing battles and everyone is responsible for it and I hope everyone sees that. You should be angry. When someone is pressing, you have to follow the press.

"It's basic things but it's not happening enough. You have to be mentally strong and keep going. But we didn't do that. Forest were physically winning so many battles against us."

Parkinson's philosophy of getting the basics right has served Wrexham well in recent weeks, following a difficult start to their Championship campaign. The manager is keen for his team to keep their feet on the ground given the competitive nature of the league and with just under two thirds of the season left to play.

However, Wrexham are in a solid position to challenge for at least a play-off place as it stands after spending around £33million on new players during the summer. The club's chief executive, Michael Williamson, has also confirmed money will be made available to Parkinson in the January transfer window to further strengthen his squad.

Wrexham will face Blackburn Rovers at home in their next league fixture on Saturday, before travelling away to Preston the following weekend.

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