Cambridge United have missed out on signing Paul Carden after the midfielder opted to sign for Wrexham for family reasons.
Carden, 29, had been influential as the U's reached the Blue Square Premier play-off final at Wembley.
He told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire: "I loved my time at Cambridge and I was gutted we didn't go up.
"But Wrexham have been watching me, it's 40 minutes from my home and my wife and I have just had a little boy."
Carden was full of praise for the staff and fans at Cambridge United.
"Cambridge were brilliant, the manager was brilliant with me and so were the board, but basically it was a case of my family situation.
"It wasn't anything to do with the money side of it, it was just the simple reason that to uproot my family would have been hard."
He played 22 times for U's after arriving on loan from Accrington Stanley in January.
"I wish Cambridge all the best as they're a club that deserve success, the fans are brilliant" he added.
Wrexham have been relegated to the Blue Square Premier after finishing bottom of League Two.
But Carden says they will be contending for a promotion straight back in to the Football League.
"I wouldn't have signed there unless I felt the club had ambition and they have," he said.
"They've got a very experienced manager in Brian Little who's targeted me and when a manager like him comes knocking it's hard to say no."
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Carden chooses Wrexham for family reasons
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