Liverpool duck Wrexham pre-season friendly with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney forced to change plans quickly ahead of North America tour

The Red Dragons are heading across the Atlantic for a second successive year. They will face Bournemouth and Chelsea while on the west coast of the United States, before heading north for a clash with MLS side the Vancouver Whitecaps in Ryan Reynolds’ home town.

Phil Parkinson is eager to get some minutes into his players prior to leaving the United Kingdom, with a clash with Northern Premier League Division One West side Hanley Town being hastily arranged. Wrexham’s boss has said: “We had a game organised against a Premier League club behind closed doors at their training ground which they pulled out of because of complications with their pre-season tour. We had to quickly arrange an alternative and we went to Hanley, looked at the pitch and spoke to the owner. They moved their fixtures around to accommodate us but the upside for them is that they are going to attract a fantastic crowd which can help them with the budget going forward. It is a good fixture which sets us on our way to America.”

Hanley’s chairman has confirmed to the RobRyanRed podcast that Liverpool were the team that Wrexham were supposed to play, but forced Reynolds and Rob McElhenney into a quick rethink when they decided to duck that fixture ahead of their own trip to the U.S.

Wrexham have seen star striker Paul Mullin ruled out of their immediate plans, as he has undergone surgery, but pre-season dates will give them a chance to bed new recruits George Dobson and Lewis Brunt into the fold – with there the promise of more transfer business to come ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.