'He sucked me in!' - Steven Fletcher claims he was blindsided by Rob McElhenney with Wrexham release just two days after Hollywood co-owner 'begged' him to stay on golfing trip

Ex-Scotland international Fletcher was talked out of retirement by the Red Dragons in 2023, with plans to hang up his boots put on hold in order to join an ambitious project being pieced together by McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds in North Wales.

Back-to-back promotions were enjoyed at SToK Racecourse, with Fletcher becoming a super-sub as he registered 16 goals through 77 appearances. His vast experience was put to good use by Phil Parkinson.

Fresh terms were expected after stepping up into the Championship, but they never materialised and Wrexham have gone on to acquire Ryan Hardie and Josh Windass while closing in on a deal for Wales international Kieffer Moore.

Fletcher has told The Warm-Up of being surprisingly snubbed by Hollywood co-owners at Wrexham: “Rob, he loved his golf as much as I did. He invited me in the summer, we obviously went to Vegas for the off-season thing, getting promoted. After Vegas, all the boys flew home, but me and Elliot Lee flew to L.A. to meet the owner, to play a few rounds of golf with him, so it was quite good, it’s just little things like that.

“In the buggy, he begged me to stay. Two days later, I got released! I was like ‘he’s sucked me right in there!’”

Fletcher, at 38 years of age, is now mulling over retirement once more. Wrexham, meanwhile, are - with the promise of more spending in the transfer market to come - preparing to open their 2025-26 campaign away at Southampton on Saturday.