Wrexham owner's 'heartbreaking' transfer bombshell after player's social media statement

Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney has shared his heartache upon discovering the exit of a beloved player through social media. The Welsh club has bid farewell to a number of key players since their triumphant rise to the Championship in April.

The most notable departures included seasoned goalkeeper Mark Howard and experienced forward Steven Fletcher. Last month, it was also revealed that Wrexham's star striker Paul Mullin would be moving to Wigan Athletic on a season-long loan after losing his place in the team under manager Phil Parkinson last term.

McElhenney, who is in the process of legally changing his name to Rob Mac, has spoken candidly about the emotional toll of parting with players who have significantly contributed to the club's achievements.

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The actor and co-creator of 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' disclosed that he learned of one squad member's summer departure only after reading about it on X, previously known as Twitter.

Speaking on the podcast, McElhenney expressed his surprise after not being informed by Parkinson about the player's release but stood by the decision made by the ex-Bolton and Sunderland manager.

The 48-year-old said: "I found out one of my favourite players was released from the team this year. I found out via Twitter and I was just as shocked as he was. It was his statement, and the manager hadn't told us yet.

"He talked to the player, which is what he should have done, the player talked to his teammates and then put out a statement, which is his right to do. My heart was broken and I did not see it coming.

"The players will often play themselves out of a job. This happened with a few of our players where they gave their hearts, their souls and their effort and helped us get promoted.

"For that, us, the club and the town are eternally grateful. But what winds up happening is, you go up a league, and maybe they're 36 or 37 years old, and you need somebody who's 21 or 22. They accept that, but it still doesn't make it easy and it's not fun."

Wrexham were competing in the National League when McElhenney and Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds initially purchased the club in February 2021. The North Wales side has since secured three consecutive promotions, with the Hollywood duo helping propel the team into the second tier.

During the interview, McElhenney revealed how he first approached Reynolds about joining his quest to acquire a football club. He also shared the cautionary words he received from his wife, Kaitlin Olson, before reaching out to the Canadian.

"I went back recently and I found the original email that I sent to him where I laid out the idea and what I wanted to do," McElhenney said. "Originally, I was going to do it on my own and ask Ryan if he wanted to be a sponsor with Aviation Gin as the front of kit sponsor.

"The more I thought about it, the more I realised that he's such an entrepreneur. He's globally famous, whatever he touches seems to turn to gold and if I could potentially include him as a partner, that could take this thing into the stratosphere.

"I remember asking my wife about it, and I said, 'Caitlin, what do you think about me asking Ryan to be a full partner on this?' She said, 'I don't know. I guess it depends on whether your ego can take sharing the screen with Ryan.'".

Sharing the secret behind their ownership success, he added: "We were honest from the very beginning, and we went in with our hearts on our sleeves and said, 'We don't know anything about football.' I was not even a fan of the beautiful game up until five years ago, and now I'm horrifically addicted."

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