Wrexham have largely avoided signing big names in the Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds era, but that hasn’t stopped a few come-and-get-me-pleas over the years.
Wrexham’s rise to the Championship has largely been inspired by key signings with EFL experience.
The likes of Paul Mullin, Ollie Palmer and Elliot Lee were tried and tested performers who came to Wrexham and made a huge impact.
Phil Parkinson boasts an impressive record in the transfer market at Wrexham, and his focus on proven EFL players has been absolutely crucial.
Morten Gamst Pedersen offered himself to Wrexham
The hype around Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds meant Wrexham quickly emerged on everybody’s radar.
Suddenly, Wrexham was the place to be – and the lure of playing in the Mac and Reynolds era attracted some intriguing proposals.
A real Premier League cult hero showed his interest in joining Wrexham, as Morten Gamst Pedersen talked up a move to the STōK Cae Ras.
That may sound strange, given that Pedersen was at his peak ‘Barclaysman’ reputation in the mid-2000s.
Remarkably, Pedersen has been playing into his 40s and only retired at Ranheim in early 2024, aged 42.
Pedersen starred for Blackburn Rovers in the top flight, racking up 34 Premier League goals in 260 appearances.
The Norwegian spoke to Sport Bible in 2023, just months before hanging up his boots, and admitted his interest in joining Wrexham.
Pedersen praised the Wrexham project and wanted to be tagged in a social media post alongside Reynolds in an attempt to grab his attention.
“It’s unbelievable what they are doing,” said Pedersen. “I think it’s so cool. Yes, they get promoted and everything, but they are also building a brand from a club that’s quite far down in the system. It shows that if you get the right people and the right attitude, and everybody drags in the same direction, you can do a lot. Aren’t they the second-oldest club in the UK as well? They have a great history.
“Yeah, I would love to. Why not? Of course. Maybe if you tag me in a social media post, Ryan Reynolds could read this, and we get a chance to meet…” he added when asked if he would like to play for Wrexham.
Parkinson and Wrexham, rather unsurprisingly, chose not to go down that route, and Pedersen’s career came to an end less than a year later.
Morten Gamst Pedersen would have been Wrexham’s second-ever Norwegian
This type of plea was never really likely to work, especially with Pedersen’s best days well behind him.
Had Pedersen joined Wrexham, then he would have become just the second Norwegian player to turn out for the Red Dragons.
You have to go back to Marius Rovde in the early 2000s for Wrexham’s last and only Norwegian.
The goalkeeper actually knew Ryan Reynolds before the Hollywood takeover at Wrexham, crossing paths during Rovde’s time with the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Wrexham looked into signing Sivert Mannsverk over the summer, but he ended up joining Sparta Prague.
Rovde stands alone as Wrexham’s only Norwegian player in history, and that piece of history may just stand for a while yet.