‘Foolish’—Hollywood’s Ryan Reynolds Weighs in on Wrexham’s Premier League Hopes

The Red Dragons are currently sixth in the Championship standings.

Ryan Reynolds has his sights set on the English top-flight. | James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images

Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds backed his club’s dreams of securing a record fourth consecutive promotion, claiming they would be “foolish not to aim” for the Premier League.

When the Hollywood actor, alongside Rob Mac, purchased the smallest club in Wales for $2.5 million in 2021, they said their ultimate goal was to take Wrexham from the National League to the English top-flight. The celebrities were ripped apart for such an ambitious dream, but now, five years later, the Red Dragons are on the cusp of achieving the historic feat.

Reynolds reflected on the whirlwind journey ahead of the Welsh derby on Friday evening, a match he and Mac commentated. “You have high expectations in long term, but our goal was to listen and learn and at that point, you don’t know what you’re saying, if that’s just going to sound preposterous or naive,” he told Sky Sports.

“But our goal was always the Premier League. I mean, we’d be foolish to not aim for that. I didn’t think we would be here this quickly; however, sometimes the ball bounced our way. Other times, this team’s grit, determination and character is what really kind of pushed them across, even more so than just skill.”

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Wrexham Dare to Dream of a Spot at Wembley

Wrexham are in pursuit of a historic fourth consecutive promotion. | James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images

Even after securing an automatic bid to the Championship for the 2025–26 season, Wrexham were counted out of truly competing alongside the clubs in England’s second tier, let alone cracking a spot in the top six.

Yet the Red Dragons, bolstered by an influx of new faces over the summer, continued to do what they do best—defy expectations. Despite getting off to a nightmare start, the Welsh outfit slowly found its footing and put together an admirable season in its first Championship campaign in 43 years.

With just nine games left to play, Phil Parkinson’s men sit sixth in the standings, holding the final playoff spot. They only have a three-point cushion to seventh-place Southampton, though, which leaves little room for error as the season reaches its climax.

Reynolds will undoubtedly be locked into the team’s Premier League push over the next few months, but he is leaving all the big decisions to Parkinson and his players.

“Phil Parkinson has done a phenomenal job, and I think the best thing we’ve done as co-chairmen has been to leave the football decisions to the people who understand the game better than we will ever understand it, and that’s sort of been the secret sauce,” Reynolds revealed.

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Reynolds Hails Wrexham As the ‘Most Rewarding’ Experience

Ryan Reynolds has experienced a whirlwind since he took over Wrexham. | Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images

After finding as much success as Reynolds has in Hollywood, it’s hard to imagine another professional experience topping his exploits on the screen. Yet the 49-year-old movie star now views Wrexham as the pinnacle of his career.

“It’s been, easily for me, I’ll say, the most rewarding professional experience of my entire life, and emotional, too,” Reynolds revealed on commentary during the club’s 2–0 win over Swansea City on Friday.

“Aside from my immediate nuclear family, I can’t think of anything I’ve done in my life that’s more worthwhile and beautiful than being a part of this story in Wrexham as it unfolds.”

If the Red Dragons’ impressive performance against Chelsea in the FA Cup fifth round is anything to go by, the club is on the right path to one day compete alongside the biggest and best teams in England—and Reynolds’s journey as a co-owner will only get more surreal.

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