When it comes to Hollywood actors, you can never be sure what they’re going to pop up in the news for. After all, many have more money than they’ve ever dreamed of, they have an amazing lifestyle, and they are recognized across the planet. So, you associate the high-profile actors with the glitz and glamour that this brings. Fast cars, VIP treatment – that’s Hollywood.
So, when news broke last month stating that Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney were going to invest in a relatively poor Welsh soccer team, it understandably attracted a lot of attention.
ICYMI ⚽ The latest Elis James’ Feast of Football podcast is out! 🙌
This week Elis, Danny and Iwan discuss the potential takeover at Wrexham by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney and the latest Wales squad.
👉https://t.co/RFQVGCvALi pic.twitter.com/tNustgGOFz
— BBC Sport Wales (@BBCSportWales) October 2, 2020
In truth, most of the reactions centered on one word: Why. Why were these Hollywood actors putting money into a soccer team that plays in the fifth tier of English football? Why Wrexham? Also, what are they hoping to get out of this?
For now, those questions remain unanswered. Nobody really knows why they are doing this, particularly as it has been suggested they will be putting in around £2m. Okay, it might not be a significant sum to them but it’s still a lot of money.
Of course, we can speculate, and there’s no denying that the emergence of several soccer stars from the US may have played a part as it has raised the profile of the sport.
The days when the national team were a laughing stock are long gone – you just have to look at the teams some play for. With Weston McKennie at Juventus, Christian Pulisic starring for Chelsea, and Sergino Dest joining Barcelona, we have three top talents at European giants. That’s not to say the US is now a powerhouse, and a look at the international football betting odds shows they are 150/1 to win the World Cup in 2022. But there’s no denying that major progress has been made.
That could be part of the attraction to the Hollywood pair, as they will recognize this is a sport that still has room to grow and, if they can help a small club like Wrexham to succeed, it would be a notable triumph.
Additionally, for many, soccer is a passion and it could be that the two just have the bug. They both took time out of their busy lives to tune in as the Dragons beat Boreham Wood 2-1, with the match streamed on a laptop screen, which shows their commitment.
Hollywood star and future Wrexham AFC investor Ryan Reynolds takes a break from filming Red Notice to watch the Welsh team in the National League 😵
Only in 2020 🤯pic.twitter.com/sXPH1LbM37
— Goal (@goal) October 7, 2020
Quite what happens next in this bizarre story remains to be seen. First, Reynolds and the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia creator and star, McElhenney, will have to convince the Wrexham supporters they are the right choice to take over. That will include outlining their future plans, proving they have the funds, and explaining the direction they see the club going in.
Considering this sort of investment would be huge for a National League team, it seems highly unlikely there would be too many obstacles from Wrexham’s side.
Then, in the fullness of time, we may start getting the answer to why these two Hollywood names have decided to put their money into this poor soccer team. If it does get signed off, it is something that will have the world once again watching Reynolds and McElhenney but in an entirely new, albeit bizarre, context.
DC Fanboy! Superman is the greatest comic book character of all time. Favorite movies are Man of Steel, Goonies, Back To the Future
