Former Wrexham forward Jack Marriott is leading Reading’s promotion charge as the joint top scorer in League One this season.
Wrexham’s meteoric rise in the English division has been accompanied by constant squad turnover. While it has seen multiple players in every position move on, the club’s burn-and-churn roster policy has been most visible in the attacking department.
A few of the former attackers, Paul Mullin and Elliot Lee, now feature in League One. Some, like Steven Fletcher, have hung up their boots, while some, like Ollie Palmer, have turned up to club ambassador roles.
Despite this vast range of possibilities, some short‑term performers continue to be undercovered. The latter type includes ex-forwards like Jack Marriott, whose story remains a classic case of a what-could-have-been tale.
Having arrived in winter 2024, Jack Marriott was seen as a player to look up to in the League One and higher tiers. While the forward kick-started the 2024/25 campaign brilliantly with 5 goals in 10 appearances, he could never deliver to the expectations of the Reds.
A broken fibula in October 2024 practically ended his Wrexham career. Though Marriott returned in the second half of the season, he could never win his starting spot back and had to depart in the summer of 2025.
Fast forward to now, and many Wrexham fans would’ve even forgotten Jack Marriott. But to the supporters’ surprise, Marriott is reviving his career with a magical League One spell.
Jack Marriott is enjoying a high-flying spell at Reading
Marriott is a two-time promotion winner with Wrexham after he joined the Reds in early 2024. Though he had lost prominence after the Championship jump, a stay back in the League One with a move to Reading would’ve come challenging for him.
Factor in that Marriott was nearing 31 when he left Wrexham. Yet the forward is now enjoying a career resurgence, thanks to a blistering spell in the third tier against all odds.
Jack Marriott started his Reading spell with fireworks. With 5 goals scored in his first 5 starts of the 2025/26 season, Marriott set a distinctive club record for netting in these many inaugural starts.
While an injury disrupted his extraordinary form, Marriott returned stronger this time. Since his comeback, the forward has scored 11 goals in 14 appearances as he now stands tied for the League One top scorer this season.
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In just 21 appearances and around 1600 minutes of action, Jack Marriott has accumulated 15 goals and 3 assists to his name. With such blistering numbers, Marriott is leading the Royals’ playoff charge single-handedly.
Recently, Jack Marriott fired a hat-trick against Wycombe Wanderers in a 3-2 win. This victory brings Reading just 3 points away from the playoff zone, while they have a game remaining in hand.
If Marriott continues like this, not only can he help Reading go up to the Championship, but he can challenge his best tally of 27 goals in the 2017/18 League One campaign.
Sam Smith-Jack Marriott swap has been a win-win deal
When Jack Marriott underwent a fibula treatment after a solid League One start to the 2024/25 campaign, Wrexham replaced him with Sam Smith. The Reds brought the latter in a £2.5m fee to finish the Championship promotion task that Marriott had started.
To Wrexham’s relief, Sam Smith didn’t disappoint. Taking the starting XI role, the former Reading star scored 7 goals in 17 appearances to end the club’s dependency on Jack Marriott.
Ultimately, Wrexham decided to offload Marriott to Reading for an undisclosed fee last summer. Everyone knows what happened next as the 31-year-old is enjoying a memorable spell with Reading.
Though the Royals missed on a playoff spot last season after a mid-season sale of Sam Smith, Marriott has them in contention for a promotion this time. Having been in the third tier for 3 seasons, Marriott is on a mission to fire Reading back to their Championship days.
On the other hand, Sam Smith has been proving his worth time and again. Despite losing his spot to Kieffer Moore early this season, Smith is fighting back for the starter status after a sensational January spell.
Currently, the 27-year-old is the Reds’ most in-form striker as they look forward to another promotion. Given his convincing FA Cup display against Ipswich Town, Smith is expected to be crucial for Parky despite a forward burst with Keillor-Dunn and Bailey Cadamartieri’s signing.
Overall, it’s safe to say that the indirect Sam Smith and Jack Marriott swap has been a win-win deal for both Wrexham and Reading. The move can lead both of them to a memorable promotion at the end of this season.
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