Wrexham promotion bonus emerges as League Two runners-up spot rewarded by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney
Wrexham's players have been handed a hefty promotion bonus from Hollywood duo Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds.
The Welsh club, which finished as English League Two runners-up in their first season back in the Football League, will now play in League One next season for the first time in 19 years. Moving up to England's third tier follows their title-winning campaign in the National League 12 months ago. After their initial promotion, the famous owners treated the team to an all-expenses-paid trip to Las Vegas.
Club captain Ben Tozer has hinted at wanting a similar reward this year. However, the owners have already expressed their gratitude by more than doubling the players' bonuses. Last year, the squad shared £250,676 in bonuses, including promotion-related payments. That figure has now soared to £509,710, according to the club's latest accounts. This is a significant increase from the £5,000 each they handed out after their first full season in charge, which ended with a defeat to Grimsby Town in the National League playoffs, reports the Mirror.
Wrexham players are in line for further bonuses should they make it three consecutive rises through the divisions and reach the Championship, with the club being tipped as favourites to secure promotion next season. As they gear up for another tilt at going up, the squad is not just eyeing financial rewards but also hoping for another celebratory getaway.
Following their recent promotion triumph, Tozer spoke to the BBC about potential congratulations from the club's high-profile owners. He said: "I don't know if they've messaged anyone yet. We usually get a message from Ryan after a game, so I'm sure he'll message soon enough - they both will, to be fair. We've just told them to fire up the jet for Vegas! ".
The following day, Tozer shared his thoughts with talkSPORT, saying, "I mean, all we've said to [the owners] is, 'Try and top last year if you can! ' That's it."
He also didn't dismiss the possibility of a third consecutive promotion, stating, "I don't see why the club can't, but at the same time, let's just enjoy this one while it's here and take the next one as it comes."
However, manager Phil Parkinson offered a more measured perspective during his talkSPORT interview a week later, noting the challenges ahead: He admitted: "How high can we go? I think League One is a bigger jump than going from National League to League Two, so we've got a big test in this summer, we really have. We've got to recruit well, we've got to maintain the spirit we've built over the last two years, but whilst always being honest you've got to improve each time you go up, so that's the challenge for us, and it's one I'm really excited about taking on."