Dwayne Johnson ready to make National League club the 'new Wrexham'

Dwayne Johnson could be set to follow in the footsteps of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney by being involved with a football club in the UK.

Reynolds and McElhenney have transformed the fortunes of Wrexham, who have secured a return to the Football League after winning the National League this season.

The Welsh side have also seen their profile increase exponentially following the hit Disney+ show 'Welcome to Wrexham', which documents the club's incredible rise.

And it appears Johnson wants a piece of the action, with stunning reports claiming the A-list Hollywood action star is ready to make Southend United the 'new Wrexham'.

Dwayne Johnson at the 95th Academy Awards. Image: Alamy

According to Echosport, a group of local businessmen are in advanced talks with Southend chairman Ron Martin.

The group, which includes Simon Jackson and Kristofer Tremains from Kimura Capital and members from Integral Sports Management (ISM), have made contact with 'The Rock' and his production company, Seven Bucks Productions, and are interested in making a documentary on the National League side should the takeover be completed.

Ray Winstone could also be involved in the bid as he is a co-founder of ISM. The Brit, 66, is a die-hard West Ham United fan, but could be involved in the takeover of Southend.

With Johnson's world-wide appeal, he'll be hoping for a similar impact as Reynolds and McElhenney have had on Wrexham. His huge brand would help boost Southend's profile across the world.

Current owner Martin put the club up for sale in March after struggling to fund them in recent years.

They have been placed under a transfer embargo since September due to money owed to HMRC while full-time office staff are still waiting to be paid for March and April.

Southend survived another winding up petition this month and have until July 12 to pay off their remaining debt of £250,000.

This season, the Shrimpers finished in eighth place in the National League table, 42 points adrift of Wrexham who won the league ahead of Notts Country, who also gained promotion following their play-off win.