Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney boast Wrexham factor worth ‘extra 10 points’ – with key quality tipped to have Red Dragons ‘up and around’ another promotion

The Red Dragons have clambered out of the National League and League Two in back-to-back campaigns, returning them to the third tier of English football for the first time in 20 years. They made a winning start to the new season – with Hollywood co-owners in attendance – and the atmosphere at SToK Racecourse is expected to stand them in good stead.

Wales international Sam Vokes, who formed part of the Wycombe side that suffered an opening day 3-2 defeat at Wrexham, has told the Feast of Football podcast for BBC Wales Sport of the special environment Reynolds and McElhenney have created: “It was bouncing and for an away team it's going to be a tough place to go this year. They've got that extra stand at the end [behind the goal] that was full.

"I don't want to say just the atmosphere will get them through because they're a good team obviously, but I think that that can sometimes give you an extra 10 points during a season. It put us on the back foot. I'm not going to lie, the first 10-15 minutes we were probably taken aback by it. We were expecting it, but probably taken aback a little bit. Before we really got going in the game we were 2-0 down, and it was an uphill struggle.”

Wrexham have faced mixed predictions when it comes to launching another top-six bid in 2024-25, but Vokes sees them being there or thereabouts. He added: “I think there'll be up and around it. The quality they've had to get through the divisions so far has been League One quality, and I see they've added a bit of quality.

"I think they'll be in and around it definitely. It depends how they deal with a few setbacks, I suppose, but their squad is huge. They had lads that we saw that weren't even involved at the weekend, so that will help them out this season definitely.”

Reynolds and McElhenney have made more funds available for additions during the summer transfer window, with Phil Parkinson spending that money wisely. He boasts strength in depth all over the field, which should serve Wrexham well in what promises to be another gruelling campaign.