A video of Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds crashing the club’s press conference following their promotion has gone viral with more than 550,000 views.
Wrexham delivered a Hollywood ending for their fans with a 3-1 win against Boreham Wood on Saturday, April 22.
The result ended the Welsh team’s 15 years outside the English Football League as it secured their automatic promotion.
Following the final score, Wrexham goalkeeper Ben Foster and forward Elliot Lee were being interviewed by the press when they received a surprise visit from Reynolds.
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As Reynolds entered the room, Foster’s face lit up before the co-owner demanded the goalkeeper’s jersey.
He said: “Foster, Foster. Jersey, Now.”
Seemingly delighted by the request, Foster did offer the Deadpool star a warning, adding: “It stinks by the way. It absolutely stinks.”
Reynolds, keen for more memorabilia from the game, then turned to Lee and asked: “Are you wearing an undershirt? Give me your jersey.”
🗣️ “Foster, Foster! Jersey – NOW!”
Ryan Reynolds interrupts Ben Foster’s post-match duties to grab a little souvenir from Wrexham’s night… 👀🤣 pic.twitter.com/k5tjJwwOlU
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) April 22, 2023
When Reynolds was asked if he would put both shirts on eBay, he replied: “Listen, I work in show business, we fall on hard times sometimes.”
Since Sky Sports Football shared the clip on its Twitter account late on April 22, it has received an estimated 5,680 likes in addition to its more than half a million views.
Wrexham’s victory on Saturday is a welcome return on investment after Reynolds and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia creator Rob McElhenney completed their purchase of the football club in February 2021.
“I’m not sure I can actually process what happened tonight. I’m still speechless,” Reynolds said in an interview following the match.
“One thing that’s running through my head over and over again is people said at the beginning, ‘Why Wrexham? Why Wrexham?’ This is exactly why Wrexham, happening right now is why.”
The club is the third oldest professional soccer club in the world and was founded in 1864, a year when the U.S. was in the final stages of the Civil War.
McElhenney and Reynolds injected star power and worldwide attention to the club which enabled it to secure a sponsorship deal with TikTok.
The FX sports documentary Welcome to Wrexham was commissioned and covered the club and its owners.
While Wrexham received attention off the pitch, the club will secure more sponsorship opportunities and access to the League Cup which could result in fixtures against the Premier League’s top teams such as Manchester City and Arsenal.
Newsweek has contacted Wrexham AFC for comment via email.