Wrexham are now preparing for life in the Championship but fans would be forgiven for feeling that this is all still a dream.
Wrexham clinched a third straight promotion in April as the Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds experience continues.
The last four years have been a whirlwind as Wrexham made history with back-to-back-to-back promotions.
Championship football wouldn’t have even been on the minds of many Wrexham fans as recently as 2020, but McElhenney and Reynolds’ takeover has completely changed the fortunes of the club.
Wrexham have been a winning machine on the pitch under Phil Parkinson, all backed up by smart decisions off the pitch.
Wrexham’s enormous commercial income sums up the success on and off the pitch, with the sheer star power of McElhenney and Reynolds catapulting the club into the spotlight.
Ryan Reynolds shares his Wrexham ‘Mount Rushmore’
Reynolds has now been asked to name his ‘Mount Rushmore’ from his time at Wrexham, paying tribute to those who have made a huge impact over the last four years.
Speaking on Men In Blazers, Reynolds picked manager Phil Parkinson as his first selection.
It’s one thing to have great financial backing, but knitting players together as a cohesive unit is far from easy.
Parkinson has done that brilliantly and Reynolds picked him first, before going for co-owner McElhenney second.
Reynolds praised McElhenney for doing more than people actually think, before naming goalscoring hero Paul Mullin third.
Reynolds reserved the strongest praise for his final selection – Shaun Harvey.
Director Harvey has been vital off the pitch, with Reynolds praising his patience while helping McElhenney and Reynolds learn in the early stages.
“Phil Parkinson, Rob McElhenney, who does so much more than people realise,” said Reynolds.
“Paul Mullin and Shaun Harvey. Shaun really, from the jump, was very good about protecting us from ourselves, which you need sometimes, and really giving us as much information… the dumber the question, it just didn’t bother him. He was very, very patient,” he added.
Ryan Reynolds on Luke Young
Choosing just four would be a difficult task for anybody.
Reynolds felt that limiting his picks to just four was ‘not fair’ highlighting that former captain Luke Young deserved to be in the conversation.
Young was McElhenney’s favourite player at Wrexham but left the club at the end of his contract last summer.
Now playing for Cheltenham Town, Young has been praised by Reynolds for his leadership ability and having ‘the heart of a lion’.
“Those are my four, but four is not fair. Luke Young, that guy has the heart of a lion and his leadership… his leadership by example, not by words, is what I found to be beautiful,” he added.
Much like Young last year, striker Mullin could leave this summer as Wrexham continue to push for more success.
That could bring more heroes to the STōK Cae Ras, and Reynolds’ picks may look a little different in a couple of years as Wrexham grow and grow.