Ryan Reynolds is the Taylor Swift of EFL! Wrexham share U.S. fan growth with Super Bowl winners as NFL legend Tom Brady tipped to have similar impact at Birmingham

Wrexham have been on a remarkable rise in recent seasons, as they have gone from the National League to League One under the stewardship of Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds and his actor co-owner Rob McElhenney. Wrexham's profile has also grown thanks to their wildly popular documentary 'Welcome to Wrexham', a show which has won an Emmy.

Now, Brady has been tipped to have a similar impact on Birmingham City as Reynolds and McElhenney have done for Wrexham. The Hollywood A-lister has been compared to Taylor Swift in terms of bringing new fans to the sport - much like she has done for the NFL due to her relationship with Super Bowl winner Travis Kelce.

Neil Joyce, CEO of fan data specialists CLV Group, believes there is a market of 36 million fans in the United States who have yet to decide which team to support, and told The Athletic: “Wrexham’s story is phenomenal. It has the underdog element, a club on the brink of extinction that starts to work its way back up. Americans love that kind of storytelling.

“Then, there’s the measurability of it all. United Airlines, one of the biggest airlines in the world, is on the jerseys. That kind of link makes a huge difference. I was on a flight with United earlier in the summer and they were handing out the (free amenity) bag with the Wrexham (pyjamas).

“It isn’t about just the match. It is the personalities around it. Look at how Taylor Swift has brought new fandom to the NFL (her partner Travis Kelce plays for the Kansas City Chiefs) in the same way Ryan Reynolds has brought Deadpool fans to Wrexham.

“Given the new EFL rights deal (with CBS), there will be a lot more exposure to Wrexham for sports fans in the U.S. They can tap into that. Same for Birmingham, with arguably the NFL’s greatest of all time.

“Look at Tom Brady’s adjacent sports investments. He has the (NFL team) Las Vegas Raiders, he has a WNBA team (Las Vegas Aces). Again, I’d be tapping into those fanbases and bringing them on the journey with Birmingham as well.”

Wrexham play Birmingham on Monday night with Brady's side set to come face-to-face with the side built by Reynolds and McElhenney. American eyes will undoubtedly be watching.