Luke Young, the captain of Wrexham, has cautioned the club’s renowned owners, acknowledging that he had to be persuaded of their intentions.
Since launching their takeover in 2020, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have turned the Red Dragons’ fortunes around, and the team now has a large global fan base. The Welsh team’s on-field accomplishment was promoted back to the EFL last season after a 15-year hiatus, and the “Welcome to Wrexham” campaign introduced them to new fans.
Yet, there have been obstacles in their way as they have worked to elevate Wrexham from a non-league team to a glitzy brand with a global following. The club’s co-chairmen may have faced their first significant challenge when trying to persuade important players in the locker room that their aspirations for success were realistic.
Wrexham captain Young has now talked about what it was like when the new owners first took over the team, even though he acknowledged at first that he had some misgivings that needed to be put to rest. The midfielder acknowledged to the Athletic that his initial thought upon learning that Rob and Ryan were purchasing the team was, “Why Wrexham?”
Yet Young continued: “But you look at everything those two have done since buying the club, from top to bottom, and it has all been done with the intention of giving the club the best chance of success.”
Reynolds and McElhenney were likewise described by Young as “great people” with whom “you can have a great conversation.” Additionally, he attested that they “reply straight away” to messages.
It’s unclear if the Wrexham mainstay’s stay in north Wales will end in the upcoming months as his contract is set to expire in the summer. Still, Young offered a blunt appraisal, cautioning Reynolds and McElhenney that success would not materialize as quickly as they may have hoped as the team pursues a second consecutive promotion.
The club mainstay admitted: “This being football, there will be a bump in the road at some stage. Hopefully, not this season, as we want to get this second promotion, but there will be a time when things level out a little bit. Then, it is how everyone involved at the club – not just the owners – react to that and then how they push on again.”
Currently, Wrexham sit in the third and final automatic promotion slot in League Two after 39 games played, with MK Dons hot on their tails in fourth. Potentially facing up to the prospect of departing the club at the end of this term, though, Young is clear that he is simply focusing on making the most of every game from now until the end of the campaign.
“In football, you never know what’s around the corner,” he continued. After spending so much time here, this club will always hold a special place in my heart. I’m simply concentrating on the games right now. Getting promoted is everyone’s objective.”
