‘Very Interested’—Hugh Jackman in Talks to Rival Wrexham With Championship Club Takeover

Hugh Jackman has confirmed he is in talks to buy a stake in EFL Championship team Norwich City with a view to becoming the latest Hollywood star to invest in the division.

Jackman, a close friend of Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds, has never hidden his admiration for Norwich and was approached as a potential investor as far back as 2010, when he declined the offer. He would later describe that decision as a “big mistake.”

Sixteen years later, Jackman is back in talks over investing in the Canaries.

“I’m very, very interested, and talking about it right now,” Jackman revealed to talkSPORT. “There’s a little exclusive.

“Good on Ryan, you do your thing, I’m all about the Canaries.”

Why Does Hugh Jackman Support Norwich?

Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman — Jackman (right) visited Ryan Reynolds (left) at Wrexham. | Jacob King/PA Images/Getty Images

Jackman was born and raised in Australia but has a personal connection to English soccer through his parents, who were born in England but emigrated to Australia.

His mother comes from Norwich in south-east England, and that was enough to convince a seven-year-old Jackman to throw his loyalties behind the team.

“When I was in Australia, growing up, I had English parents who emigrated to Australia,” he explained. “We used to watch the FA Cup. It was the only thing we were allowed to stay up for, three o’clock in the morning. We had to go to bed first, and we were woken up to watch it.

“So I was seeing all these teams, Arsenal and all these teams, and I was like, ‘I’ve got to pick a team.’

"I said, ‘Dad, where are you from?’ He said, ‘London.’ I said, ‘So I’ll go for London?’

“He goes, ‘No, there’s a bunch of teams in London.’ I said, ‘Mum, where are you from?’ She went, ‘Norwich.’

“I went, ‘Is there a football team in Norwich?’ She went, ‘Yep.’ I said, ‘That’s my team.’

“So it’s been slim pickings since then. We did win the Milk Cup in 1984. It’s not even called the Milk Cup anymore, but we’re on the rise.

“We’re on the up and up. I went to Carrow Road a couple of times, and I love the Canaries, and this is the year we’re going to get promoted. That’s my prediction.

“My prediction is Norwich and Wrexham are getting promoted [to the Premier League] this year.”

Everything to Know About Norwich City

Andre Brooks — Norwich play in England’s second tier. | Stephen Pond/Getty Images

Founded in 1902, Norwich have enjoyed plenty of success in England and are far more established towards the top of the pyramid than Wrexham were when Reynolds and Rob Mac sealed their famous takeover of the club in 2021.

Norwich were part of the inaugural Premier League season in 1992–93 and have spent the years since bouncing between the top division and the second tier, formerly known as the First Division but now identified as the Championship. They did spend the 2009–10 season in the third tier, League One, but topped the standings to seal immediate promotion.

Nicknamed ‘The Canaries’ due to a history of breeding the birds in the area, Norwich were in the Premier League as recently as 2021–22 with a popular squad featuring the likes of former Minnesota United striker Teemu Pukki and USMNT striker Josh Sargent, who only left Norwich in February of this year to complete a move to Toronto FC.

Sargent joined Toronto for a fee of around $22 million, making him one of the most expensive signings in Major League Soccer history.

Norwich, who play their games at Carrow Road, have won the English second tier five times and also have two triumphs in the League Cup, now known as the Carabao Cup, to their name.

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