Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds has delivered a blow to the British media as he shows how he proves them wrong on his first day in North Wales.
The tale of Wrexham’s rise through the divisions has been incredible, with the Welsh side set to compete in the Championship this season, one step away from the Premier League.
Before Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took over the club, Wrexham found themselves lurking in the National League for many years, finding it impossible to break into the EFL, until the Hollywood duo came to town.
After blessing the squad with a highly talented coach in Phil Parkinson, whilst also bolstering the squad by bringing in top talents, including Paul Mullin, Elliot Lee and Ollie Palmer, Wrexham’s momentum soon became unstoppable.
The reality of three successive promotions is remarkable, but Reynolds has always been sure that Wrexham would rise to the top, in spite of the reactions that such a claim received from the start.
Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds responds to media who laughed at Premier League ambitions
Next season will certainly be a huge challenge for Reynolds and McElhenney’s side, but nonetheless, the dream of the Premier League is still very much on.
The top flight has always been the goal for Reynolds ever since he took over at Wrexham, despite the club being a long way from the promised land.
Speaking about his ambitions for the club and how they were initially ridiculed, Reynolds said: “I remember the first time I did a press conference there, and one of the media people asked me, “How far do you think this dream goes?” And I said, “Well, we’re going to take this team to the Premier League,” and they laughed and even the players laughed, but they’re not laughing now, we’re in the championship.”
Reynolds was also asked about his general views on Wrexham and what the club means to him.
“Wrexham is just so special for so many reasons,” Reynolds continued. “As we grow and expand, the story that’s unfolding before our eyes is not; we’re not in control of it.
“Some of it has been, the ball bounced our way, we just got lucky in this one moment, or at other times it’s heart. That town has so much heart, and you have a coach who will always take character over talent because having a locker room that is united in that way and really has each other’s backs in a way that I’ve never seen anywhere in any industry.
“It is a beautiful thing, and as you grow, you want to make sure that you’re growing, but you’re keeping the intimacy of the place, and I think that that’s been the one tenet that Rob and I have been we’ve been so guarded about.”
Ryan Reynolds must keep pushing for the Premier League dream
On the surface, Wrexham are only one promotion away from the Premier League, but the next one will be the most difficult to come across.
With the wealth of talented sides Wrexham will face next season, consolidation in the second tier would be a brilliant campaign for Phil Parkinson’s side.
An immediate promotion to the Premier League is unlikely; the foundations for the team will need to be built before Wrexham goes all in on a promotion push.
The next step may be a lengthy procedure, but Ryan Reynolds must certainly not lose sight of his Premier League dream. It is his and Rob McElhenney’s spirit for the club that has driven it so far, and whilst there will need to be plenty of work to reach that next level, it is still just within arm’s reach.