Details of an ‘unbelievable’ speech from Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney have emerged after Ryan Reynolds previously discussed his ambitions of reaching the Premier League.
Reynolds, 48, and McElhenney, also 48, took ownership of the then-National League club in February 2021.
Head coach Phil Parkinson has since led the Welsh side to back-to-back promotions, with the team currently competing in League One – the third tier of English football – although they could yet achieve a third promotion, this time to the Championship, with a win against Charlton on Saturday (April 26).
And ahead of Monday’s 2-1 away win at Blackpool, McElhenney gave a rousing speech to the Wrexham players, according to midfielder George Dobson.
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“It was unbelievable," said the 27-year-old via BBC Sport.
"The Wigan and Bristol Rovers games, it maybe looked like we were a tad more cagey than we had been, and [McElhenney] just said there's no pressure whatsoever, just go back to that 12-year-old boy and play as you would as a kid with your friends.
"It was a really inspirational, motivational speech, and the whole group really bought into it."
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McElhenney was in the away section of Bloomfield Road on Monday alongside the Wrexham fans who made the trip to the Northwest coastal town.
"I think it showed in the performance at Blackpool, it seemed like the reins were off with the group and there was a real togetherness between the fans and the club," Dobson added.
"With the goals, the way they were celebrated, it felt like a really special moment."
So, if Wrexham do win on Saturday, they will start the 2025/26 campaign just one league below the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal, who all compete in the Premier League – the top tier of English football.
Ryan Reynolds on Wrexham's Premier League ambitions
Reynolds has reportedly flown in alongside his wife, Blake Lively, ahead of tonight's potential promotion-clinching match, as reported by the Mirror.
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Speaking at TIME100 Summit this week, Reynolds said: "I have, literally, like an eight-inch ulcer in my stomach right now because it's the end of the season.
"It all comes down to the next two weeks. They just can't do it easy, like just one year let's do it without having receding hairlines all around. We're all losing it. Stress [is] killing us."
The Hollywood actor gave his thoughts on the Red Dragons reaching the Premier League in the coming years, when speaking on Men with Blazers earlier this year.
“I mean, 10 years from now… we would be morons to not want to see this club in the Premier League but to also be unique in that everything about the place has stayed true to what it originally was – I mean, that’s kind of the perfect scenario,” Reynolds explained.
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“It should be unexpected and kind of a wild adventure and ride. If it was all predictable and we knew exactly what was going to happen, boy, this would be miserable I think.
“You can’t understand happiness and joy and elation unless you understand what it feels like to fail and to be miserable and, thankfully, this sport offers all of those emotions inside each and every minute of a match, so you get to kind of go on that ride.
“So, 10 years, I hope Wrexham is Wrexham and I hope the change that has taken place is for the better and that people are proud of it, and that the change doesn’t feel like it was too big, too soon because there’s an underdog nature to the town."
He added: “I remember Rob early on, he was like ‘of course we want to go to the Premier League’, and it eventually got into my cells… hell yes we want that, why wouldn’t we want that? Who wouldn’t want that? And we can kind of see it, you know?”
Topics: Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney, League One, Football
Luke Alfred Davies