Wrexham have grown a great deal since Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s takeover back in 2021.
Plans to redevelop Wrexham’s stadium are well underway, with a new design for the Kop released earlier this year.
On the field, the Red Dragons have obviously come on leaps and bounds, ending a 15-year spell in the National League.
Away from the pitch, Wrexham posted record profits in the 2023/24 season, recording the biggest turnover of any club in the history of League Two.
One of the many, many things to get excited about at the club over the last few years, meanwhile, has been the development of the academy.
- READ MORE: Ryan Reynolds shares how League One promotion battle is making him feel ahead of Wrexham vs Charlton
Nick Chadwick shares Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s ‘vision’
22-year-old Max Cleworth joined Wrexham back in 2014 and, after starting out in their youth system, is now one of the Welsh outfit’s best players.
And it looks as though we could be seeing more and more young players making their way from the academy and into the senior setup in the coming years.
Former player Nick Chadwick is now the head of player pathway and development at Wrexham and has been discussing the club on the Inside The Game Podcast this week.
When doing so, he shared an insight into his relationship with Phil Parkinson as well as Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s ‘vision’ for the academy.
He said: “I met Phil Parkinson, they’d been to America on tour, and I met the manager, and he sold it that it was going to be such a big thing for the club with the owners.
“They [Rob and Ryan] want to not only build the first team, they want to build the area, they’ve got a vision for North Wales and the football there, and North Wales kids playing and representing Wrexham, and that’s going to be a big part of the club moving forward so for me to be part of that and to lead on that initially.
“I think I was the first appointment. And for the manager to be so positive, and also for me, I got on great with Phil Parkinson straight away. He understood me, I felt, and I understood him, and we’ve got a great relationship.”
- READ MORE: Ryan Reynolds shares secret to Welcome to Wrexham success, it ‘works so well’ for one key reason
Wrexham Academy is already excellent
Cleworth has obviously been a first-team regular for some time now, but there are still plenty more gems coming up via the club’s youth ranks.
Harry Ashfield signed a new Wrexham contract earlier this year after some terrific performances in the EFL Trophy.
Ashefield is a local lad, fitting Rob and Ryan’s vision perfectly, and is sure to see more minutes in the coming years.
Elsewhere, Rio Owen has shone at youth level in the last two years, scoring over 20 goals for the club’s reserves.