Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney remain on cloud nine after winning promotion to the EFL, but the Deadpool actor has some choice words for one of their key players.
Striker Ollie Palmer was instrumental in Wrexham's National League title triumph this season with 17 goals in 45 appearances, striking up a fine partnership with leading scorer Paul Mullin as the Red Dragons held off Notts County – who won in the playoff final at Wembley on Saturday – to finish top of the table in their second season under Hollywood ownership.
Palmer cost Wrexham a club-record fee of £300,000 in 2022, but the 31-year-old has proven to be money well spent as the club ended a 15-year wait to return to the Football League in a journey that will be charted in the second series of FX documentary Welcome To Wrexham, which is due out later this year.
But Reynolds says Palmer loves the cameras more than any other player and he has made a habit of trying to speak to the co-owner's wife, Gossip Girl star Blake Lively, topless after games.
"Every time we've come as a family we've come over we have a walk down to the dressing room," Reynolds told the Fearless In Devotion podcast. "Ollie is always the first one to walk out, completely shirtless, to have a conversation with my wife.
"I'm like Ollie, put a f**king shirt on and come back out to speak to her like a gentleman."
Joking aside, Reynolds is delighted to have Palmer – who launched the WXM clothing brand last year, with items sold in the club shop – representing the club.
He continued: "Ollie is one of the best guys we know, genuinely, and also one of the funniest guys I know and I'm just thrilled for him and his clothing brand. It's nice to see him soar like that."
Wrexham's promotion to League Two was confirmed with a 3-1 victory over Boreham Wood in the penultimate game of the season on April 22, prompting wild celebrations across the North Wales town as more than a decade in the doldrums finally came to an end.
It will be a moment Reynolds will never forget, but he admits his mind quickly turned to the next steps in Wrexham's journey.
"It was probably the most exciting moment of my life outside of the birth of my own children, maybe, but also the next day I was so excited to dig into what's next for the club, which I am both proud to say and also deeply regretful to say because I probably should have spent more time to enjoy that moment.
"I did (enjoy it), but I'm so excited to repeat that feeling as much as possible and just grow, grow, grow as big as we possibly can get and continue to deliver for the town."
