Ryan Reynolds had a typical ‘Ryan Reynolds’ reaction when he discovered just how much he and Wrexham AFC co-owner Rob McElhenney have lost since buying the club.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last couple of years, you’ll probably be aware that the two Hollywood stars bought the club back in 2020 - and have been having a great time ever since, even seeing the team promoted last season.
It was an unusual move and many people questioned why two actors would want to purchase a fifth-tier football club that is based in Wales - but it's fair to say they managed to prove their doubters wrong.
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The takeover has been documented on the popular FX series Welcome to Wrexham, which follows Reynolds and McElhenney as they get to grips with becoming the proud owners of the decades-old club.
During this season’s premiere of the show, Wrexham’s executive director Humphrey Ker warned the actors that they had lost ‘loads’ of money since they bought the club - but didn’t reveal just how much ‘loads’ actually was.
But Wrexham’s Advisor to the Board Shaun Harvey was happy to share the figure - telling the lads they’d lost an estimated £10 million ($12 million) on their investment. Ouch.
Upon hearing the figure, Reynolds quipped: "I'm going to throw up."
McElhenney took a more levelled approach and asked when the duo can expect to make money from the club to which Harvey said: "The value that's coming from the global appeal we've been able to create is going to offset those additional costs that we've created.
"The biggest thing that will change on promotion [is that] people can see the value of Welcome to Wrexham.
"They can see the value of the profile that's being built. That's when the additional sponsorship revenue can be generated."
Earlier this year, due to the massive success of their takeover, Reynolds and McElhenny were awarded the freedom of the city.
At the event, Reynolds said: "I think back to that first moment. We were on Zoom speaking to the Wrexham Supporters' Trust and I don't think I have ever been as nervy as I was in that exact moment.
"I'm so touched I get to be a part of this story. I know that we are here so that you guys can thank us for some reason, but I feel like it is the other way around.
"We want to thank you for what you have given us. Words are too clumsy to quantify what it means to me."
Topics: Ryan Reynolds, Wrexham FC, Sport, Celebrity, Football, Money
Claire Reid