Phil Parkinson has explained how Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney convinced him to become manager of Wrexham.
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Hollywood stars arrived in 2021Wanted experienced coachEnjoyed considerable success togetherWHAT HAPPENED?
The Hollywood superstars completed their remarkable takeover at SToK Racecourse in the spring of 2021. By the summer of that year, they were in the market for a new boss. Parkinson was approached due to his vast experience of life in the Football League – particularly on the promotion-winning front – and was lured to North Wales after initial concerns about dropping into the non-league were calmed.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
McElhenney made a personal play for Parkinson – as captured on the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary series that the Red Dragons’ boss now stars in – with A-list celebrities in the boardroom having delivered on every promise that they made to the man in the dugout.
WHAT PARKINSON SAID
Parkinson has told of buying into the unique experience: “I looked at it, spoke to the owners, weighed everything up and thought, ‘Wow, what a story that could be’. Being in football is about creating memories. That initial chat I had with the owners was very good. We spoke about what I felt would be needed going forward and everything we discussed they backed up 100 per cent. They are genuine people – they don’t say things unless they’re going to back it up, which is refreshing. They’ve been very supportive to me and the staff, and I think they’ve enjoyed it themselves. I’ve really enjoyed it, too. This club has been a very different journey for me, with so many dynamics at the club – getting to know Rob, Ryan and our executive director Humphrey Ker, plus everything with the documentary.”
Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?
Parkinson guided Wrexham to the National League title in record-breaking style last season and now has them sat among the League Two frontrunners – with back-to-back promotions on the cards as Reynolds and McElhenney seek to make their dreams of one day reaching the Premier League a reality.