Ryan Reynolds And Rob McElhenney To Repay Wrexham Players And Staff’s Lost Money While On Furlough

Wrexham new owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have made the incredible move to cover players and staff's lost wages while on furlough.

The Hollywood stars completed their takeover of the National League club earlier this month.

However, Wrexham had put players and staff on furlough as the National League was suspended last March due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Furlough has allowed those who are unable to work due to COVID-19 to receive up to 80 per cent of their respective wages, which is currently capped at £2,500 a month.

Now, Deadpool star Reynolds and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia creator McElhenney have stepped in to support players and staff at Wrexham.

Wrexham boss Dean Keates told BBC Sport: "It's an unbelievable gesture to come in and repay what you'd written off.

"There was a decision to be made when it was put to us last March, we voted it through to help protect the football club.

"Over the years people have made sacrifices for this football club to help it get by.

"Now it is in hands that can financially stabilise the football club, to have that gesture repaid back to us is great.

"We appreciate it... I knew there was a good possibility of it happening. Now it has been confirmed I have no doubt people will be thinking they are going to get their money back and will be very grateful for it."

Reynolds and McElhenney were linked with a takeover of Wrexham last September before the duo completed the acquisition of the club in a £2m deal.

Keates has admitted that there will be "added pressure with everything that comes with the takeover and who the people are."

The 42-year-old Wrexham head coach explained: "From the conversations I know, the club is still going to cut its cloth accordingly.

"The money that has been put into the football club is to safeguard it, that is not just the football department, it's everything.

"Conversations have mentioned the community side and the Racecourse Foundation, it's about developing everything.

"It's not going to go straight to the first-team budget and we are not going to become ridiculously silly wage payers of players, that is not going to happen.

"There is going to be added pressure with everything that comes with the takeover and who the people are, but there was always massive pressure at this football club anyway.

"We are a big scalp but we are up there with the likes of Notts County, Chesterfield and the other big teams that are trapped down here.

"We have an added pressure now with everything that has happened but that is for us to deal with."

Featured Image Credit: Twitter

Topics: Wrexham, Football News, Football, Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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