Ryan Reynolds and David Beckham face showdown after Wrexham twist of fate

Following their promotion from League Two last season, Wrexham, owned by Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds, won't have to wait long to face off against the Class of '92's Salford City again, as they gear up for a clash in the EFL Trophy next season.

The Red Dragons are set to compete in the third tier in the forthcoming campaign after another successful season under the guidance of head coach Phil Parkinson. Bolstered by the support of their celebrity owners and the addition of former Premier League players James McClean and Steven Fletcher, the team secured the second-place spot.

On the other hand, Salford ended up in 20th place in the table after a challenging season that saw them narrowly avoid relegation back to non-league football. The ownership group, comprising Manchester United legends Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Paul Scholes and David Beckham, will be hoping for better results in the 2024-25 season.

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The Greater Manchester side will get the chance to turn things around in the EFL Trophy, where they've been drawn in North Group B alongside Wrexham. With the final draw yet to take place to determine the single Premier League Under-21 team joining the group, both teams have also been drawn alongside Port Vale.

Salford City, having previously tasted success in this competition with a victory in the 2019-20 season, are no strangers to the trophy. In contrast, Wrexham Football Club was last triumphant in 2005, reports the Mirror.

The two sides' most recent face-offs have seen mixed results; Salford claimed a 3-1 win over Wrexham in February, whilst the Welsh team won 3-2 earlier in the season.

Mutual admiration between the clubs' owners is well documented; Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, co-chairmen of Wrexham, have publicly expressed their respect for Beckham. The ex-England skipper even made an appearance at Wrexham's FA Trophy final in 2022, though the club were defeated by Bromley at Wembley.

Post-match interactions had Reynolds and McElhenney praising Beckham. McElhenney said: "Another benefit of being friends with Ryan is that he's friends with everybody. So the idea of learning the rules of football from one of the greatest footballers in the history of the sport is a pretty good aspect."

In similar fashion, Reynolds lauded Beckham as he recounted the time spent together: "He's possibly just the nicest guy on planet earth - what's not to love about him? He's a great guy, so generous with his time."

In response, the former Real Madrid right midfielder expressed his admiration for McElhenney and Reynolds's efforts in putting Wrexham on the global map. Speaking about the growing popularity of football in America, Beckham praised the pair, stating: "That's why I moved to America in 2007 with my family to join the MLS and to join the Galaxy - because I knew that there was potential.

"It was always going to be a challenge, and I'm glad that I played a small role in making the league as big as it is now, but it takes moments like what we've just done. It takes things like 'Ted Lasso,' and it takes people like Ryan and Rob to give it that bit of air."