Wrexham have made headlines all over the world ever since the 2021 takeover from Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds went through.
If you had told a Wrexham fan in 2019 that two Hollywood celebrities would be waltzing in to buy the club, you would have received more than a few raised eyebrows.
It was all true though; Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds bought Wrexham in a £2million takeover, turning Wrexham into global news almost overnight.
The story off the pitch has seen ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ become a major success with fans now emerging all over the world.
On the pitch, Wrexham have won two straight promotions – and a third is a real possibility with Phil Parkinson’s side sitting second in League One.
This Wrexham rise may well inspire more celebrity investment in other clubs – and one big name was approached straight after McElhenney and Reynolds made their Wrexham move.
Hugh Jackman was approached after Wrexham takeover
McElhenney and Reynolds have been big news together ever since the Wrexham takeover.
Their status as Hollywood celebrities is huge and that means their co-stars often get asked about Wrexham.
For instance, McElhenney’s wife and ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ co-star Kaitlin Olson recently opened up on the Wrexham deal.
Reynolds’ ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ co-star Hugh Jackman was asked about Wrexham too – and admitted that he could have moved into football as well.
Speaking to BBC News in 2023, Jackman admitted that other clubs offered him the chance to invest in them to rival Wrexham.
Jackman would have only needed to put in £1 and was ‘seriously’ tempted to go and challenge McElhenney and Reynolds.
Jackman added that he had been speaking to Michael B. Jordan about the celebrity ownership in football and simply felt that it was too ‘easy’.
“I will admit to you that when Ryan bought that team, I did get more than one offer from rivals to that team for £1 to come in as a co-owner and that did seriously tempt me,” said Jackman.
“Michael B. Jordan, I was with him] last night, and he’s a co-owner of Bournemouth, and I was like, this whole thing of outsiders coming in and buying football teams, it feels a little, I don’t know…easy,” he added.
Celebrity involvement on the rise after McElhenney and Reynolds
Jackman has been seen at Wrexham games in the past and may well love the idea of battling McElhenney and Reynolds down the line.
It’s unclear just who approached Jackman but it just wasn’t right for him at the time.
Elsewhere though, celebrity investment is on the rise and is showing no sign of slowing down.
NFL superstars Tom Brady and J.J. Watt have moved into football with Birmingham City and Burnley respectively.
US rapper A$AP Rocky has been targeting Tranmere Rovers, even with plans for a ‘Welcome to Wrexham’-style documentary series.
Former Premier League boss Billy Davies claims to be working with A-listers to invest in a club in English football.
McElhenney and Reynolds have clearly made a huge impact on the game with their success at Wrexham and may well be rubbing shoulders with other celebrity owners down the line.