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Article continues belowArticle continues belowArticle continues below<script type="application/json" data-placement="fcplayer-semantic">{"type":"fcplayer-semantic","data":{"embedCode":"//cdn.fcp.codes/embed-code-template/embed-code-template.js#SEMANTIC_5704afb8-c10b-4ba5-9cb4-d7fb6098ef90"}}</script><ul><li>Takeover completed in 2021</li><li>Enjoyed meteoric rise since then</li><li>Has found it difficult to let people go</li></ul>

Rob McElhenney reveals ‘favourite player’ he & Ryan Reynolds have had at Wrexham – with Hollywood co-owner lifting the lid on toughest part of his job

League One

Wrexham

Exeter

Two Hollywood superstars <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/plastic-nipples-why-ryan-reynolds-rob-mcelhenney-different-other-owners-wrexham-director-explains-hollywood-superstars-broke-mould/blt3153f5855a6bb1aa " target="_blank">completed a stunning takeover at the Racecourse Ground</a> in 2021. They inherited a squad, club and community that had been down on its luck, but <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/will-ferrell-hollywood-consortium-wrexham-ryan-reynolds-rob-mcelhenney-told-what-required-completely-different-ball-game-next-promotion-push/bltd35d6ff781d08aa9" target="_blank">a remarkable transformation has been overseen</a> in North Wales.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Wrexham <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/another-las-vegas-party-ryan-reynolds-rob-mcelhenney-arthur-okonkwo-bold-wrexham-promotion-claim-league-one/blt37daecccf5dc6d0a" target="_blank">are now a League One outfit</a>, following back-to-back promotions, with <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/revealed-how-much-ryan-reynolds-rob-mcelhenney-spent-wrexham-summer-transfer-window-record-signing-eight-deals-promotion/blt2b42ee8a6fa41d12" target="_blank">shrewd business and recruitment</a> allowing the Red Dragons to take flight. There have been plenty of comings and goings on and off the pitch, with change required in order to progress.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

McElhenney admits to finding that tough at times, telling the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2e3fHQWWn4c " target="_blank">Men In Blazers</a> podcast after seeing it suggested that he and Reynolds have <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/welcome-to-wrexham-shut-down-ryan-reynolds-rob-mcelhenney-cameras-disappear-documentary-distraction-paul-mullin/bltc23f50702bf8b1df" target="_blank">experienced few lows alongside the many emotional highs</a>: “It’s interesting that you would say it’s mostly peaks, because I can see how that would seem to be the case from the outside. But that’s only assuming that the peaks are wins on the pitch – and, yes, that is invariably true that winning on the pitch is of paramount importance. But, some of those values are more personal. One thing that I was not prepared for was how difficult it is to say goodbye to players, because one of the very few downsides of becoming so personally close with the players is that you have to say goodbye to everybody at some point. Ultimately that is a metaphor of life in general, that people come and people go, but when you put so much value on the relationships that you have with people, to say goodbye is very difficult.“We have had so many valleys along the way, in so far of Ben Tozer and Luke Young – who is my favourite player. I was very public in stating that. That’s no slight on the other players, I just love Luke. He was our longest-tenured player, he was with us from the very beginning, so to say goodbye to him was devastating. I got very close with Chloe, his wife, and children and I still speak with him – I check in with both of them. I check in with a lot of players that have left because it’s legitimately emotionally painful to say goodbye to them. I think I have learned that as fun as the experience of being the chairman of this club is, it can also be really, really hard to say goodbye.”

WHAT MCELHENNEY SAID

Former club captain Young was <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/wrexham-let-eight-go-players-released-offered-new-contracts-ryan-reynolds-rob-mcelhenney-phil-parkinson-league-one/blt7e73e24b1184c856" target="_blank">among those released by Wrexham in the summer of 2024</a> on the back of the club’s promotion out of League Two. He made over 250 appearances for the club over the course of six seasons and can be rightly proud of his standing in McElhenney’s eyes given that the likes of <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/journey-paul-mullin-shares-video-rob-mcelhenney-ryan-reynolds-enjoy-100-goals-wrexham/blt1c58d576815a77ca" target="_blank">Paul Mullin, Elliot Lee, James McClean and Ollie Palmer were brought in alongside him</a> by head coach Phil Parkinson.

YOUNG THE PICK OF THE BUNCH

Rob McElhenney reveals ‘favourite player’ he & Ryan Reynolds have had at Wrexham – with Hollywood co-owner lifting the lid on toughest part of his job | Goal.com

Rob McElhenney has revealed his “favourite player” from working alongside Ryan Reynolds at Wrexham and discussed the toughest part of his job.

Rob McElhenney reveals ‘favourite player’ he &amp; Ryan Reynolds have had at Wrexham – with Hollywood co-owner lifting the lid on toughest part of his job