Wrexham are heading into the final six games of the League One season with real hopes of another promotion under Phil Parkinson.
Wrexham drew 2-2 with Cambridge United on Tuesday night but remain second in the League One table.
These final weeks could see Wrexham land a third straight promotion as the club’s incredible journey continues.
Phil Parkinson deserves the praise for pushing Wrexham into promotion contention once again, but much of the attention goes towards Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds.
The Hollywood duo have provided brilliant backing over the last four years and ultimately defied those who thought that the takeover was a PR stunt back in 2021.
Lili Jones on Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds
McElhenney and Reynolds bought Wrexham for £2million in 2021 and have enjoyed major success since striking that deal.
There were some doubts at the time, though, with some fearing that McElhenney and Reynolds would not be invested in Wrexham for the long haul.
Wrexham Women’s star Lili Jones has now admitted that there was some scepticism around the local area as the takeover was going through.
Jones, who has been featured on ‘Welcome to Wrexham’, has seen the profile of the Wrexham Women’s team rise alongside the men’s team.
Jones spoke to United States legend Sam Mewis on The Women’s Game, highlighting that there were some fears about the intentions of Reynolds and McElhenney.
The Wrexham Women midfielder questioned just why two Hollywood stars would want to invest in Wrexham and was baffled to see so many people flocking to see her hometown.
Jones believes that McElhenney and Reynolds ‘haven’t put a step wrong’ at Wrexham, leading to ‘unbelievable’ progress through the leagues.
Jones added that she doesn’t think McElhenney and Reynolds will be going anywhere any time soon, believing that they are fully committed to Wrexham.
“It was a bit scary to start with,” said Jones.
“I kind of thought… why Wrexham? I think a lot, like… why are people coming to see the town? This is where I grew up, it’s special to me because I grew up here; everyone’s hometown is special to them because they grew up there, but to have so many different people loving it for the same reasons as me was something I found quite hard to comprehend to start with.
“Why would two Hollywood actors want to buy a little club in North Wales? People were sceptical about it as well; we thought, ‘is this a joke? Are they going to do it for a year and then kind of bin us off?’ But they just haven’t put a step wrong, and they’ve done the town right in so, so many ways.
“It’s been unbelievable to see how it’s played out, from Wrexham in the National League to where we are now, and possibly being the first club in the English system to go back-to-back-to-back is just something that I never, ever thought would happen.
“It’s been scary and nerve-wracking, but it’s also been probably the most amazing few years of my life, and we’ve got a lot to thank them for and continue to thank them for because I don’t think they’re going anywhere soon either,” she added.
Ryan Reynolds addressed Wrexham exit questions
There have been changes at Wrexham this season.
The Allyn family invested in Wrexham earlier this season, with Kaleen Allyn joining the board of directors.
Wrexham have now announced four new directors, too, with McElhenney and Reynolds adding some close associates to the club’s hierarchy.
Some had wondered whether the new investment would pave the way for McElhenney and Reynolds to move on.
Speaking in December, Reynolds committed his future to Wrexham and shot down the idea of a departure.
Reynolds noted that he and McElhenney would be staying but just needed more hands on deck with Wrexham growing so rapidly.
That means Reynolds and McElhenney will be around for a while yet – much to the annoyance of many rival fanbases.