Phil Parkinson fires Hollywood warning to Wrexham stars as Reynolds team hits US

Wrexham have arrived in the US for their pre-season tour amid a wave of interest in the North Wales club. But manager Phil Parkinson is remaining adamant that his players are there on business and will be working harder than ever.

With a fast-growing fan base in America thanks to the huge success of the Disney Plus series ‘Welcome to Wrexham’, owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have taken full advantage of their club’s new-found popularity by organising a high-profile tour of America that includes headline fixtures against Premier League giants Chelsea and Manchester United.

Such is the noise around the working-class club since it’s successful return to the Football League that sales of replica Wrexham shirts have been outselling some Premier League teams on the other side of the Atlantic.

Wrexham’s players have been to America before, when Reynolds and McElhenney treated the whole team to a trip to Las Vegas after they were declared National League champions with a record 111 points.

But Parkinson, who managed cash-strapped Bolton Wanderers and Sunderland before finding success in North Wales, says this trip to the States will be nothing like that last one.

“Obviously these games are at a different level in terms of the expected attendances compared to a normal pre-season friendly schedule,” said Parkinson.

“It means that we have been working hard to make certain we go there in the best possible shape. It’s also a huge step for this club to be back in the EFL and that means the hard graft has to continue.

“We are a hard-working group of lads who are representing a working class city and we never lose sight of that. Hunger and desire can always take you a long way.”

Wrexham’s fortunes have been turned around completely after Hollywood actors Reynolds and McElhenney bought the club for £2m in November 2020 before investing another £10m into the project.

And the added bonus of the successful streaming documentary series has ensured that Parkinson, 55, has had to contend with much higher exposure than would normally be the case for someone who had taken over running a non-league club, not that he is complaining.

Parkinson said: “It’s been an amazing journey. Now it’s a case of taking another step forward because having gone up a level into League Two we know it’s going to be tougher but I also know that the players retain a real work ethic.

“It’s also about being humble as a group and never getting beyond ourselves. Yes there is a Hollywood aspect about the club but when we work we really work.

“We are looking forward to meeting some of our American supporters and want to put in performances which makes them proud. Opportunities like these don’t come along too often so you have to make them count, especially with the new season in mind.”

Wrexham kick off their US tour with a match against Chelsea on Wednesday, July 19.