The rise keeps rolling. Credit - WrexhamAFC
Ryan Reynolds’ growing influence at Wrexham AFC has been matched by a remarkable rise on the pitch, and club legend Mickey Thomas believes the Hollywood co-owner already has one of the best managers in the country running his team.
Thomas, who starred for Wrexham during the 1970s and 1980s, insists Phil Parkinson’s transformation of the club ranks among the best in the English game. Speaking after watching the Red Dragons’ FA Cup win over Nottingham Forest alongside Reynolds, Thomas called Parkinson “ruthless” and “special” in equal measure.
“If you look at the manager Phil Parkinson and what he’s done, that is the most difficult job in football,” Thomas said. “He’s stayed focused and he’s a very ruthless man. He knows what he wants. I believe at this moment in time, he could be the best manager in all the football leagues and even in the Premier League.”
Reynolds’ leadership and hands-off style
Since Reynolds and fellow actor Rob McElhenney bought the club in February 2021, Wrexham have climbed three divisions in as many seasons, reaching the Championship for the first time in more than forty years. The pair have invested heavily but deliberately kept their distance from team affairs, allowing Parkinson full control of football matters.
Embed from Getty Images“Fair dos to Rob and Ryan, they don’t get involved with team affairs or selection,” Thomas said. “It’s clear he is solely the manager inside that football club, which is the way it should be.”
That trust has been rewarded. Wrexham’s FA Cup victory over Nottingham Forest on penalties lifted confidence further, while their four-game winning streak in the Championship has left them ninth in the table, just a point off the play-offs. Parkinson’s record since his appointment — 251 games, 147 wins, 60 draws and 44 defeats — highlights his consistent control, with a 58.6 per cent win rate few managers can match.
Transfer ambitions show growing intent
The club’s steady rise has inevitably drawn transfer speculation, with reports linking Wrexham to Norwich City’s United States striker Josh Sargent.
Embed from Getty ImagesAccording to reports, Wrexham are weighing up a move for the 25-year-old, who is valued at around twenty-three million dollars. Toronto FC are believed to have tabled a competing £13.5 million offer, but Sargent’s potential availability underlines the level of ambition now surrounding the Welsh side.
“Sargent has scored fifty-six goals in 157 games for Norwich and Werder Bremen and remains one of the Championship’s most prolific forwards when fit,” a report noted, highlighting his pace and clinical finishing inside the box.
His profile fits Wrexham’s recent trend of targeting players capable of bridging the gap between divisions, a sign of Reynolds’ willingness to push for top-flight readiness sooner rather than later. The owners’ financial backing now allows the club to look at players who, even two years ago, would have been far beyond reach.
Parkinson backed to keep momentum going
Wrexham’s co-owners continue to juggle global business and entertainment projects, yet their commitment to the club remains visible. Reynolds’ public enthusiasm and Parkinson’s clear authority have created a blend of ambition and stability rarely seen in the lower leagues.
“I wouldn’t bet against him to succeed, because I’ve seen how he operates,” Thomas added. “He’s an unbelievably special man for Wrexham football club.”
Whether or not the Sargent pursuit materialises, the message is clear. Wrexham’s owners are serious about turning their fairytale rise into a lasting presence in the Championship and beyond. The next chapter will depend on Parkinson’s ability to sustain that upward momentum, but under Reynolds’ watch, the stage feels set for another leap forward.
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