Why Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney are already ‘playing catch up’ a matter of hours after seeing Wrexham promoted into League One

That warning has been sounded a matter of hours after the Red Dragons confirmed a top-three finish in League Two. Having claimed the National League title in record-breaking style last season, the Welsh outfit are enjoying a meteoric rise up the EFL ladder.

They will be playing third-tier football in 2024-25 for the first time in 20 years, with a considerable investment of faith and funds being rewarded. Wrexham have come a long way in a short space of time, and that means their Hollywood co-owners need to find more answers to difficult questions in the weeks to come.

Wrexham’s executive director, Humphrey Ker, has told BBC Sport of the project Reynolds and McElhenney are working through: “Above everything, we have proven again this is not a gimmick, it's not a joke, it's a serious operation. We are playing catch up on infrastructure and facilities, but we will do everything to give players and staff the standards you would expect. And then we go again.”

Reynolds and McElhenney have made no secret of the fact that they want to guide Wrexham towards the Premier League, but the playing field will start to level out in League One and that will mean bigger challenges for head coach Phil Parkinson and a star-studded squad to overcome.