Club director reveals the 'rogue' team Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds wanted to buy before Wrexham
The North American acting duo completed their takeover of the now-League One club in February 2021 - but things could've been different.
Wrexham community director Humphrey Ker has revealed which European football club Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney could’ve purchased before taking over Wrexham.
Ker, 42, played a huge part in the North American duo's interest in football and starred in the popular docu-series ‘Welcome to Wrexham’.
The 42-year-old has played a prominent part at the club since the takeover and recently stepped down as executive director.
Reynolds, 48, and McElhenney, 47, have overseen back-to-back promotions over the past two seasons with the Red Dragons currently second in League One – English football’s third tier.
Advert
However, Ker has revealed that the actors could’ve bought another European football club before choosing Wrexham.
Speaking on former Wrexham goalkeeper Ben Foster’s podcast the ‘Fozcast’ Ker explained how they looked at other clubs.
“And so I was like, well, all right, we're looking to Aldershot,” said Ker.
“We looked at Hartlepool… lots of people know [about] Carlisle United."
Foster then asked if there was any rogue ones, to which Ker replied: "Initially, he [Rob McElhenney] wanted to do it in Ireland or Scotland because he's from Ireland.
“So he's like, ‘What about like Shamrock Rovers?’
“And I was like, look, it's amazing, you know, League of Ireland, great clubs, historic clubs. It would be brilliant in many ways, but it'd be like throwing a brick into a pond.
"If you put... your time and energy and resources into a League of Ireland club, you win the League of Ireland instantaneously and no one comes close to you, and there's no drama there.”
He then continued explaining how Scottish football is interesting until you eventually run into the big clubs.
“You could start with like an Arbroath or… Queen of the South or something like that," Ker explained. "They're like down near the bottom there and [you could] build them up.
“But then you're always going to get this thing like…. you probably get them into Premiership, but you're going to run into, you know, Hearts, Hibs, Aberdeen and then obviously Celtic and Rangers in it.”
So far, the actors' decision to purchase Wrexham has been a great success and the Red Dragons realistically could be playing Premier League football within just over two season's time - although this would be a tough ask.
Topics: Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney, Football, League One, Wrexham, Ben Foster
Luke Davies