Ryan Reynolds has received an expletive-laden warning from none other than Ed Sheeran after Wrexham‘s promotion to the Championship. Phil Parkinson’s team marked their ascent to the second tier on Saturday following a single season in League One.
Since the Hollywood star, along with fellow actor Rob McElhenney, took over the reins at Wrexham in February 2021, the club has swiftly climbed through the ranks. This season pitched them against a formidable foe in Birmingham City, whose shareholders include NFL icon Tom Brady.
Though the Blues nabbed the title and emerged as champions, Wrexham’s impressive runner-up position guarantees both teams will compete in the same league next season. After going toe-to-toe with Brady, the duo are set to encounter another celebrity shareholder in the Championship in the form of Sheeran, who holds a minority stake in Ipswich Town.
The pop superstar, who boasts a £300m fortune, didn’t hold back in lobbing a bold, X-rated message at Reynolds following the Tractor Boys’ relegation from the Premier League. In a clip posted by the ‘Deadpool’ actor on social media, Sheeran is shown addressing the Canadian during a performance at the recent TIME100 Gala in New York.
In the video from last week’s event, the singer said: “Ryan, I think Wrexham are going to get promoted and we’re going to see each other next season. We’ll f*** you up. We will, I’m telling you.”
In the crowd, Reynolds and his wife Blake Lively were spotted, with Reynolds initially blowing a kiss and crossing his fingers at the mention of his team’s promotion chances. After hearing Sheeran’s challenge, he humorously feigned annoyance and gestured dismissively.
Ipswich will be among the main contenders to secure immediate promotion back to the Premier League next season. They’ll be cushioned by financial support in the form of a parachute payment as they adapt to life in a lower division.
Whether Wrexham can achieve an incredible fourth consecutive promotion is uncertain, but McElhenney has ominously signalled to rivals that their journey is far from over. Meanwhile, Reynolds showed his appreciation for the club’s fans in an emotional post he shared on X on Tuesday.
He said: “This club is the sum of its supporters. Before we showed up they’d saved it multiple times. It’s a temple as much as a football pitch. @Wrexham_AFC has been one of the greatest experiences of my life.
“It’s hard to avoid immediately starting work on next season – but important to take the moment in…Looking back and looking forward feels really good right now. I think I speak for @RMcElhenney when I say, thank you for the greatest four years and here’s to many more.”
Following Wrexham’s emphatic 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic on Saturday, courtesy of goals from Ollie Rathbone and Sam Smith, Reynolds echoed Wrexham’s lofty ambitions to reach the Premier League.
“Four years ago, this man [McElhenney] said our goal is to make it to the Premier League,” Reynolds told Sky Sports. “There was understandably a lot of titters, laughter and giggles – but it’s starting to feel like a tangible thing that could actually come to fruition.”
Wrexham AFC is the arguably the fastest-growing club in the world at the moment thanks to a certain Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
The Dragons have achieved two consecutive promotions and are cheered on by crowds from not only North Wales but also from all over the globe, thanks to the success of the Disney+ documentary ‘Welcome to Wrexham’.
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The Racecourse Ground has seen its fair share of celebrity spectators this season, with stars such as Desperate Housewives’ Eva Longoria and Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong turning up to see Wrexham play. Despite the high-profile attention, manager Parkinson has made it clear that there will be a firm “no superstars” rule when considering new players for his team.
Parkinson said: “I think that a lot of tough decisions will be made this summer, in terms of who we bring in and how we add to this fantastic squad of lads we’ve got, but let’s see if we can build a squad to compete at that level.”
He added: “That is a challenge, but what we’ve always tried to do is make sure the culture in the club is right and I think that’s key – no superstars, no egos in the dressing room and we’ve got to try and get that balance right again.”
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