Imagine answering your phone and realising it’s Hollywood royalty Ryan Reynolds on the other end of the line with a special message just for you

Wrexham star Elliot Lee has opened up on a surprise phone call from Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds welcoming him to the club.

Lee joined from Championship side Luton Town last summer, and played a crucial role in the team’s promotion to League Two. The financial backing of Reynolds and co-owner Rob McElhenney has been instrumental in Wrexham’s success since they took over the club.

Reynolds and McElhenney have established a reputation for their down-to-earth approach and have developed a close relationship with the squad. This starts right from the moment a player arrives, as Lee experienced when he received a call from Reynolds shortly after signing for Wrexham.

Lee told BBC Sport: “I had just signed and was staying in a local hotel. I had an American number pop up on my phone. I don’t answer unknown numbers. I thought I will leave that. It took me three or four seconds but then I thought it’s an American number, could it be?

“It was just Ryan introducing himself and welcoming me to the club telling me how much he loves it, how, if he could be at every game, he would be. I think he has done that with a few of the players if not all of them.

“It’s just made them special owners and special people, because they actually take an interest in who you are as a human being. I met Rob shortly after that in person and it took a few months for Ryan to get over and I met Ryan.

“They are just as genuine as they come across on the TV. If you ask any of the lads they go above and beyond for all of us. That is not a common thing in football. The surreal at Wrexham becomes normal.”

The striker, who is the son of Newcastle legend Rob Lee, initially had reservations about dropping down three divisions to join Wrexham. However, Reynolds’ presence and the club’s ambitions convinced him to take on the challenge.

He added in an interview with Mirror Football: “I jokingly said to him because he is a huge Ryan Reynolds fan, huge, he absolutely loves ‘Deadpool’, what would happen if Ryan rings you with an offer? I was just messing about. He said there was no way he was dropping down into the National League.

“A couple of days later his agent rang me and coincidently said Wrexham had come in for him, should he bother telling Elliot. I said he had to tell him. Then Phil Parkinson (the manager) started ringing him.

“Phil kept reassuring him about the club’s ambitions and then Ryan Reynolds followed him on Instagram. He eventually agreed to join. It was a bit of a gamble but he has always liked a challenge.”

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