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'I thought' - Wrexham defender shares first-hand perspective of abrupt end to Blackpool stint Danny Imray has recently departed Crystal Palace in a permanent deal a year on from his loan move to Blackpool. Danny Imray admits the abrupt end to his Blackpool loan came as a shock - but was determined to play higher up the football pyramid after being recalled by Crystal Palace. On the back of a successful loan spell with Bromley during the 2024/25 campaign, the 23-year-old was snapped up by the Seasiders last July. While there were bright snippets during his first few weeks in Tangerine, the start of the defender’s Bloomfield Road stay was frustrating on the whole due to injury. During an extended spell on the sidelines, there was a change of manager, with Ian Evatt replacing Steve Bruce in the top job on the Fylde Coast. A switch to a wing-back system proved beneficial for Imray, and resulted in a strong December for both him personally and the club. Unfortunately for Blackpool, his progress proved too rapid, with Palace recalling him at the midway point of the season - having scored two goals and provided two assists in 16 outings for the Seasiders. His time at Selhurst Park came to a permanent conclusion last month, with Wrexham adding him to their ranks on a four-year deal. Subscribe now for HALF PRICE and catch every minute of our Seasiders coverage this season - from pre-season to the final whistle. click here Imray is already used to the Championship, having spent the second half of last term with West Brom, but remains grateful for the time he spent with the Seasiders. “I was in the Blackpool FC Hotel for a couple of weeks, then I moved into some apartments in Lytham, which is a really nice area,” he told the Wrexham Podcast. “There were about eight boys in there, and my girlfriend moved up with me. “Blackpool was really good, I really enjoyed my time there. Everyone was class there. “I got a call on my last recall day that I was going back to Palace, so my agent was like: ‘You’ve got to go home and pack.’ “Daniel Muñoz got injured so the chairman wanted me to come back. Me and Steve Parish have a really good relationship, and he has a lot of belief in me. He wanted me to go back and be part of the team, but it wasn’t going to happen with the manager (Oliver Glasner). “I didn’t want to be playing the odd game here and there, I want to be in the rhythm of playing week in, week out, and I feel like that’s when I’m at my best. “I could’ve stayed there and played the odd game in the Prem, but I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to go out and make my own career. “West Brom came in, and I was buzzing. I thought that I would have to go back to Blackpool. I love Blackpool, but I want to try to play at the highest level possible. I’ve never looked back since.”