Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney engaged in team selection as Wrexham plot upset

05 January 2023 , 14:27

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Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney engaged in team selection as Wrexham plot upset

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson admits the club's Hollywood owners will discuss his FA Cup team selection.

The Welsh club, who are second in the National League, visit Championship side Coventry in the third round on Saturday. The fifth-tier Red Dragons are getting used to the limelight after featuring in the Disney docu-series 'Welcome to Wrexham'.

Last month King Charles and the Queen Consort also visited the club to meet with Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. Boss Parkinson, 55, who has been in charge since July 2021, told Mirror Football: "Ryan and Rob were over when the King came to visit.

"They are very engaged in every team selection and very concerned if a player comes off injured. They have been great to work with. It is an exciting club to be part of.

"Everyone knows the focus is on the league but like we have done in the other rounds, we will pick the team we feel is right for the day and have a good go at Coventry. We have worked hard to get to this stage and had some tough games.

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"We have wanted to test ourselves against higher opposition and are now going to get the chance to do that. It will be a great occasion with 4,000-plus fans of ours going there and we look forward to giving a really good account of ourselves."

Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds completed a takeover of Wrexham two years ago (PA)

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Reynolds and McElhenney want to take Wrexham back into the EFL at the earliest possible opportunity. They narrowly missed out on promotion to League Two last season, when they finished second in the table and lost in the play-offs to Grimsby.

"It is a special day for the two of us to become the latest stewards in the long and storied history of Wrexham AFC," read a joint statement from Reynolds and McElhenney in February 2021.

"Together with the players, the staff, the fans, and the local community, we can now pursue our goal to grow the team and return it to the EFL in front of increased attendances, and in an improved stadium, while making a positive difference to the wider community in Wrexham."

Reynolds and McElhenney sacked manager Dean Keates at the end of the 2020/21 campaign and replaced him with Parkinson. The fans are happy with their American owners, with club legend Mickey Thomas speaking highly of them in an interview with The Leader.

Thomas said: "The owners have been magnificent, there's no question of that. They have brought life back into Wrexham, not just the football club but into the town. Everyone has been happy, everyone smiling."

Thomas added: "The foundations here now are very, very solid which is what you need at a football club."

James Nursey