'F*cking get over yourself' - Ryan Reynolds makes 'check bullsh*t at the door' admission as Wrexham co-owner opens up on 'emotional investment' in League One club alongside Rob McElhenney

A stunning takeover of a then National League club was completed by a couple of Hollywood ownership rookies in February 2021. Few knew what to expect at that point, including the two men that suddenly found themselves calling the shots in North Wales.

Reynolds and McElhenney have committed fully to a surprising sporting venture, on and off the field, and are reaping the rewards. Wrexham have enjoyed back-to-back promotions, while an award-winning documentary series has helped to grow the club’s fan base around the world.

Famous co-owners have been learning as they go, but Reynolds has told the Obama Foundations 2024 Democracy Forum of why they were always up for the challenge: “Sports, music and movies are all experiences that require us to check our bulls**t at the door. We all get to feel the same thing for a minute in a world that's so tribal and we all get to root for the same thing. We take our hats off and whatever our tribal colours are, and we all get to feel something pretty special together. Wrexham has been the joy of my life, and it’s an ongoing joy. It is something that I've learned so much from.”

Reynolds went on to say of how he was convinced to join the Wrexham rollercoaster ride: “I don't think I could have done this earlier than when I was 40. I embraced sucking and failing much more in my late 30s and 40s, and by doing that, it freed me up in the greatest possible way. Everyone has anxiety and that has always kept me within a safety lane and not really stepping out. But then it's like, just f*cking get over yourself. What Wrexham has really grown inside of me is the value and importance of emotional investment. If people can be galvanised through emotional investment and feel like they're a part of something, they will engage, and they will also tell their story.”

McElhenney and Reynolds are now regular visitors to SToK Racecourse, with both making a point of taking special mementos home with them when returning to the United States. Reynold added: “We live in a very political world, where everything is divisive and I feel like connecting with people is very important. Wales is no different and where Wrexham is, there is a political divide between right wing and left wing. But when people walk into the Racecourse Ground, that stuff just goes away, and we're all enjoying and loving the moment. Every time I go there, I grab a piece of grass and shove it in my pocket.”

McElhenney – who recently attended the screening of Wrexham’s clash with Barnsley at Cosm LA – and Reynolds will be hoping to enjoy another trip to Wales in the not too distant future as Phil Parkinson’s Red Dragons continue to fly high in the League One table.