England and Premier League legend Wayne Rooney gave his thoughts on Wrexham’s rise and what makes their story so appealing to fans in the US.
In a very short space of time, Wrexham have gone from relative minnows to one of the most well-known football clubs in the world.
Formed in 1864, Wrexham is the third-oldest professional football team in the world, but chances are until recently very few fans abroad would have heard of them.
That all changed a couple of years ago when Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took over the club. The Red Dragons’ journey under Reynolds and McElhenney has been featured in a Disney+ documentary, Welcome to Wrexham, which has been watched all around the world.
The club is featured in video games like FIFA 23, while their matches are regularly shown in the US. It’s a wholly unique situation for a club that until recently was in the fifth tier of English football.
“A story”: Wayne Rooney explains why Wrexham have taken off in the US
Major League Soccer (MLS) is the premier soccer league in the US, and over the years a number of Premier League stars such as Thierry Henry, Frank Lampard, and Steven Gerrard have all played in it.
Manchester United and England legend Wayne Rooney also followed suit, playing for D.C. United before hanging up his boots.
Rooney is now the head coach of D.C. and recently sat down with The Athletic to discuss his time in charge. During the interview, Rooney was asked about the growth of soccer in the US, as well as American fans’ newfound fascination with Wrexham.
Attempting to explain the Wrexham phenomena, Rooney said: “Obviously the Premier League is the biggest league in the world, but I think the Wrexham documentary has brought a lot of interest in its own way.
“I think even Ted Lasso, as strange as it is, has brought interest. I think obviously the connection with Ryan Reynolds… That connection brings a huge added interest. They’re coming to the States in the preseason as well. It’s just a story. The story is what people want to watch.”
Wrexham are flying to the US next month on their pre-season tour
Wrexham fly to the United States for their high-profile pre-season tour sometime next month. It comes after Wrexham competed at The Soccer Tournament (TST), a seven-a-side tournament in the US featuring current, former and guest players.
The Red Dragons made it through to the knockout stages of the winner-takes-all, $1 million tournament, but were knocked out after a 4-3 defeat to Conrad & Beasley United.
- READ MORE: Wrexham AFC pre-season tour 2023: Fixtures, how to watch, tickets and everything you need to know
Wrexham’s first team will be hoping for better success across the pond on July 19 when they take on Premier League side Chelsea at Kenan Stadium, North Carolina.
The Welsh club follow that up with friendlies against LA Galaxy II and Manchester United.