Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are eagerly anticipating their side's upcoming friendly against Liverpool at Yankee Stadium in New York. The match is part of a three-game US tour for the North Wales club, which also includes fixtures against Leeds United and Sunderland.
Reynolds on the 'punch me moment'
Speaking on ESPN's SportsCenter, Reynolds said: "It's so far beyond pinch me - it's like a punch me moment. I don’t know what to say about this." He added: "The fact that Wrexham is coming to America, on their third trip, but we’re not only coming to America to play again in what has always been the most exhilarating and exciting thing to see live, but to do it against three Premier League teams in a row, in Tampa, New York and Philly is pretty amazing."
Reynolds highlighted the significance of facing Liverpool at the iconic venue: "To host Liverpool FC in Yankee Stadium, with that kind of history and pedigree, I just don’t know what to make of it. We can’t wait to fill that stadium and watch the boys out there and do what they do best. It’s always so electric."
A giant-killing opportunity
Referring to Wrexham's 161-year history, Reynolds noted: "Look, the 161-year history of Wrexham has seen its fair share of giant killings, and Liverpool is as big as it gets, certainly on the world stage, so we’re very excited to see what we can do." The friendly is scheduled for 12.30am UK time on Thursday (7.30pm local time on Wednesday).
McElhenney on competitive spirit
McElhenney, creator of the comedy series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, added: "I don’t know if a lot of people know this about football in particular but it’s not like pre-season in a lot of other sports. So, often in NFL games, or spring training, it’s fun but it’s not as competitive. Trust me, these guys want to win. Everybody is desperate to win. They are ready to go." He continued: "We’ve been texting with quite a few of them and they’re champing at the bit to get out there and go put on a show and see if we can do something magical."
Tour results so far
Wrexham made a winning start to their US tour with a 3-2 victory over Leeds, while Liverpool won their all-Premier League clash with Sunderland 4-2 in new head coach Andoni Iraola's first match in charge. The club's rise under Hollywood ownership has seen them climb from the National League to the Championship, where they finished one place outside the play-offs last season. The Welcome to Wrexham documentary series has boosted their popularity in the US.
