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Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Ryan Reynolds is paying stars Premier League wages as surprising 'Wrexham tax' claim made
A Wrexham director has lifted the lid on how the club's Hollywood owners are paying top-level wages to attract star players as they prepare for the Championship Wrexham are splashing out Premier League wages in their bid to compete in the Championship, a club director has revealed. The Red Dragons have been busy in the transfer market this summer after making six new signings. Plymouth striker Ryan Hardie, former Leicester goalkeeper Danny Ward and Empoli left-back Liberato Cacace were their first three arrivals after Wrexham were promoted to the second tier in April. They were followed by Bolton captain George Thomason, ex-Sheffield Wednesday forward Josh Windass and Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O'Brien, who all joined last week. More new recruits are expected to follow before Wrexham 's opening league game away at Southampton as manager Phil Parkinson looks to strengthen his squad. Club director Shaun Harvey has now lifted the lid on how the Welsh side's Hollywood owners, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, are paying top level salaries to entice players to the Racecourse Ground. Speaking on former Wrexham and Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster's Fozcast podcast, he said: "Our model has always been, we wanted to sign players that were at least used to playing one division higher than we were playing in. "If we're going to do that now, we're signing players who are Premier League quality and they want Premier League wages. If you're looking at signing players from the top end of the Championship to help you on your journey, they're earning fortunes more. "Our wage bill per month now will be more than we paid for the whole time we were in the National League." Despite the significant outlay, Harvey remarkably claimed the club is no longer having to fork out additional premiums as often to convince new signings to join. The ex-EFL chief executive said the so-called "Wrexham tax" - which saw the club having to offer a financial sweetener for players to drop down divisions - was a thing of the past. "That was worse in League One and League Two than it is in the Championship, and this will be a surprise to a lot of people," he said. "We were having to persuade players who were better than the standard of the division we were playing in to drop down to play." O'Brien, Wrexham's latest recruit, has spoken openly about the factors which persuaded him to join the club. It followed the Red Dragons fending off interest from several of their Championship rivals to secure his signature. "It's kind of crazy what's happened at Wrexham, it's surreal really," the 26-year-old midfielder told The Leader. "I've watched the Disney programme and it's like a Disney story - the third oldest club in the world having back-to-back-to-back promotions. "Once you see that and hear the club want to sign you, you want to be part of it. I'm absolutely buzzing. It's been a long time coming but to finally be here feels great." He added: "The last couple of years has been a bit of a whirlwind for me and my family but to sign somewhere I can call home is a great feeling. We've just had a little girl so we'll definitely be looking to move to the area. "I ended the season with Swansea and I've had a couple of spells in America so now it's time to find somewhere we can call home." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Sign up to our newsletter! Wrexham is the Game is great new way to get top-class coverage Wrexham AFC is the arguably the fastest-growing club in the world at the moment thanks to a certain Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The Dragons have achieved two consecutive promotions and are cheered on by crowds from not only North Wales but also from all over the globe, thanks to the success of the Disney+ documentary 'Welcome to Wrexham'. But does it have a dedicated, quality source of information piped through to your inbox each week, free of ads but packed with informed opinion, analysis and even a little bit of fun each week? That's where Wrexham is the Game steps in... Available every Wednesday, it provides all the insights you need to be a top red. And for a limited time, a subscription to 'Wrexham is the Game' will cost fans just £15 for the first year.
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Ryan Reynolds and Wrexham have same golden transfer rule as Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta
A Wrexham director has lifted the lid on manager Phil Parkinson's stringent player recruitment strategy, which closely mirrors Mikel Arteta's approach at Arsenal Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson has a golden rule when signing new players which echoes the approach taken by Arsenal's Mikel Arteta. The former Sunderland and Bradford manager has delivered unprecedented success since taking charge of the Welsh side in July 2021. Backed by the money of Hollwood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, Parkinson has achieved three successive promotions, lifting the Red Dragons from the National League to the Championship. Wrexham 's critics often use their riches as a reason to pour cold water on their accomplishments. However, club director Shaun Harvey has now shone a light on the extensive homework Parkinson does before bringing in new recruits. Similar to the strict non-negotiables Arteta has set out in relation to players' personalities at Arsenal, Wrexham have a firm "no d*******s" policy. Harvey lifted the lid on the secret to the club's tried and tested methods in the transfer market while appearing on ex-Wrexham and Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster 's Fozcast podcast. "We still have what most people would recognise as a more traditional model, where the manager is all things," said the former EFL chief executive. "He helps recruit players, identify players, and ultimately, from a footballing perspective, Phil has the ultimate sign off. "It's been couched around Wrexham as Phil's d******* test. Is he going to fit in, or is he going to upset the dressing room culture? The dressing room culture plays such a big part in the success of any team so background checks will be done. Some will be good, some will be bad. "The bad ones, you don't take forward and you leave them on one side. The best player signings are those that have probably been discussed that little bit more openly with a group of people who've got no vested interest other than the success of the football club." Wrexham have so far made six signings this summer, initially bringing in Plymouth striker Ryan Hardie, Leicester goalkeeper Danny Ward and Empoli left-back Liberato Cacace in the months since gaining promotion from League One. They have also added Bolton captain George Thomason, former Sheffield Wednesday forward Josh Windass and Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O'Brien to their ranks this week. Parkinson's stringent focus on prioritising the right type of character is very similar to Arteta's ethos at Arsenal. The Spaniard has explained the high demands he sets for incoming players on several occasions. Speaking to Amazon Prime Sport Video in 2022, he said: "Around the club, we have to make a lot of good decisions and when we talk about non-negotiables, it's about the values that have to be installed. If someone is going to damage those values and environment, they should not be part of the club. "When we set the objectives, we made a compromise that only the best people and the best players are going to come through this door. And when you cannot recruit that, it's better not to recruit." Expanding further on his requirements, Arteta told the Men in Blazers podcast: "I will try to recruit players that we can all feel that they are part of us, and they are able to transmit the values and the ideas that we have at the club. "First of all they have to love the game, and someone that loves winning. They need to love the club, so they need to be willing to join us for the right reasons, and then characters that can complement what we already have and provide what we don't have." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Sign up to our newsletter! Wrexham is the Game is great new way to get top-class coverage Wrexham AFC is the arguably the fastest-growing club in the world at the moment thanks to a certain Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The Dragons have achieved two consecutive promotions and are cheered on by crowds from not only North Wales but also from all over the globe, thanks to the success of the Disney+ documentary 'Welcome to Wrexham'. But does it have a dedicated, quality source of information piped through to your inbox each week, free of ads but packed with informed opinion, analysis and even a little bit of fun each week? That's where Wrexham is the Game steps in... Available every Wednesday, it provides all the insights you need to be a top red. And for a limited time, a subscription to 'Wrexham is the Game' will cost fans just £15 for the first year.
Daily Mirror
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Paul Scholes told he got lucky by ex-Man Utd star he labelled club's 'worst-ever signing'
A former Man Utd player criticised by Paul Scholes has hit back, suggesting the club legend was lucky to find success and questioning his lack of impact with England A player dubbed Manchester United 's worst-ever signing by Paul Scholes has fired back after suggesting that the midfielder's success was largely down to one of his teammates. Australian goalkeeper Mark Bosnich was brought to Old Trafford by Sir Alex Ferguson in 1999 as a potential successor to Peter Schmeichel. However, he faced a challenging stint at Old Trafford after an impressive seven-year spell at Aston Villa. Despite contributing to United's league triumph in his debut season, his time at the club was marred by troubles and he was replaced by Fabien Barthez. Scholes previously pinpointed Bosnich's transfer as the club's worst. Bosnich has now retaliated, insinuating that his old colleague owed much of his achievements to playing alongside Roy Keane. The 53-year-old also queried why Scholes didn't make more of an impact with England on the international stage. Speaking to former United and Wrexham shot-stopper Ben Foster on the Fozcast podcast, Bosnich said: "Scholesy was an exceptional player but he was very fortunate, in my opinion, to play with someone like Roy Keane. Roy Keane was much underrated as a player. "He had that hard man image, but he's a much better player than people give him credit for. I think when he [Scholes] got the right partner in midfield, he was far better. I thought he should have done a little bit more for England, really." Scholes didn't hold back when discussing Bosnich's poor professionalism on The Overlap podcast last September. He recalled the keeper's troubled second stint at United after first joining the club at the age of 17. Bosnich's return to the club was overshadowed by an incident involving a photographer during his stag do, which resulted in his arrest. "I go back to the goalkeepers, when you had to try and replace Peter Schmeichel, which is always going to be difficult," Scholes said. "We had a few. I was thinking [Massimo] Taibi, Mark Bosnich. "I thought he was a good keeper at Villa, Mark Bosnich. He came to us, and he was so unprofessional. Honestly, it was ridiculous. In shooting practice, you normally have like 15, 20 shots. After three shots, he's knackered, 'Oh no, get someone else in'. "I never realised he couldn't kick a football. I've never seen anything like it. We played Everton away, first game of the season, and none of us picked up on it. He couldn't reach the halfway line. "There was no wind, it was a perfect day. But when you look at his feet, size 14s, honestly, he was just kicking the floor all the time. Disappointing." After leaving United, Bosnich became second choice at Chelsea behind Carlo Cudicini but faced a ban from football in September 2002 after a positive test for cocaine. It took him six years to return to the sport, eventually playing for Central Coast Mariners in Australia before turning to punditry. Bosnich lavished praise on United icon Ryan Giggs, naming him as his greatest ever teammate during his chat with Foster. He not only commended Giggs for his extraordinary abilities on the pitch but also highlighted his generosity off it. "When I first met him, I was 16 or 17, and we played a game at the Cliff [training ground]," Bosnich said. "I remember Fergie walking up to me, and he said, 'Come and have a look at this kid at number 11.' "It was like somebody watching Jack Nicklaus play golf for the first time or Tiger Woods and you think 'Wow'. His father was an exceptional rugby league player for St Helens so he had that wonderful balance and running. As soon as he turned up at 15 or 16, everyone's going, 'Play him, play him'. "For me, he was an outstanding lad. If you rang him up at three in the morning and said, 'I've got a problem and I need your help,' no matter what it was, he was there for you."
Daily Mirror
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
'Sir Alex Ferguson has me to thank for signing Man Utd icon - he fell off his chair'
A former Manchester United player has taken credit for convincing the Premier League giants to sign a star who played a crucial role in their 1999 treble-winning success. Former Manchester United goalkeeper Mark Bosnich has claimed Sir Alex Ferguson has him to thank for signing club icon Dwight Yorke. The Australian was a team-mate and close friend of Yorke's during their time at Aston Villa in the mid-90s. It was the summer of 1998 when Sir Alex made his move to bring the Trinidadian striker to Old Trafford after scoring 97 in 284 appearances for Villa. The acquisition of Yorke for £12.6million proved to be a masterstroke as he instantly made a vital impact, netting 29 times during United's historic treble-winning campaign in 1998/99 However, Bosnich has now revealed that the Red Devils were initially on the fence about Yorke due to doubts about his character. That was until the Australian received a phone call from his former United youth coach Eric Harrison and reassured him of his personal qualities. Speaking on ex-United and Wrexham shot-stopper Ben Foster 's Fozcast podcast, Bosnich said Yorke was stunned when he heard the news. "Eric Harrison originally got in contact with me and asked about him and his character," he said. "At the time, he said there was a debate about whether or not he'd be the right person. I told him, and I told the manager that he'll win you the European Cup and he did. "He was the final piece of that jigsaw. I thought with Yorkie coming in, he's something a little bit different. He struck up a really good partnership with Andy Cole and they were phenomenal that year. "When they were ringing, it put me in a difficult position, because it was like, 'Well, don't say anything to him,' and then I'm going out with him that night for dinner. Of course, I told him and he immediately fell out of his chair." After winning the treble, Yorke also bagged his fair share the following term with 23 goals during the 1999/2000 season. One of his best performances for United came in February 2001, when he scored a hat-trick in a 6-1 demolition of Arsenal at Old Trafford. He scored 65 goals in 152 appearances for the Premier League giants between 1998 and 2002 before moving to Blackburn Rovers. Yorke and Bosnich were reunited in 1999 during the keeper's ill-fated second stint at United. Bosnich said the key to getting the best out of the striker was to adopt a soft approach towards him. He added that he passed this advice on to Sir Alex ahead of Yorke's arrival at United. "Dwight is as tough as they come, but he's very emotional too," he said. "In a dressing room scenario, you have to put your arm around him if you want the best out of him and I told this to Fergie. "It was sort of a love-hate a little bit with him and Ron Atkinson [at Villa]. Then when Brian Little came in, he really put his arm around him. That really brought the best out of him and he was scoring 20 plus goals."
Daily Mirror
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Arsenal agreement raises suspicions as 'unreliable' star nears big-money deal
Arsenal are close to agreeing a bargain deal for a forgotten Premier League player, but former Man Utd goalkeeper Ben Foster has questioned their motive for making the switch A former Premier League goalkeeper has questioned Kepa Arrizabalaga 's motives as he looks set for a move to Arsenal. Chelsea shot-stopper Kepa is reportedly being lined up to join the Gunners during the summer transfer window in a £5million deal after an impressive loan spell with Bournemouth this season. The 30-year-old established himself as the Cherries' first-choice, registering eight clean sheets in 31 appearances. However, it's understood the Spaniard is seen as surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge, paving the way for a switch to north London. Kepa became the most expensive goalkeeper in history when he signed for Chelsea back in 2018, arriving from Athletic Bilbao for £72m. However, he struggled to live up to his hefty price tag and lost his place in the team before being loaned out to Real Madrid in 2023/24. Arsenal are understood to be long-time admirers of Kepa, but Mikel Arteta already has an established No. 1 in David Raya. And ex- Manchester United keeper Ben Foster believes he is highly unlikely to displace his fellow countryman. Foster, who also turned out for the likes of Watford and Wrexham, accused Kepa of being content to go back to being a bench-warmer if he agrees a move to the Gunners after voicing doubts about his reliability. "It's crazy at the age of 30, but it's almost like he's signalled that his playing days are over," he said on his ' Fozcast ' podcast. "He's happy playing second fiddle, where he knows he might play 10 games a season for the next five years. "It's a surprising one, because he's re-established himself as a number one, a good-to-go, bona fide Premier League number one starting goalkeeper. "By signing for Arsenal, I think he can say to the people around him or to the wider world, 'Listen, I'm going there to compete and try and be the number one.' But I think deep down, he knows why he's going there. "He's not good enough to be near Raya and I think Arsenal know that as well. They're signing a very capable back-up goalkeeper, but somebody that probably isn't going to be reliable at that level." Despite his criticism, Foster claimed the transfer could still be beneficial for both Arsenal and Kepa, who he thinks could earn a six-figure weekly sum at the Emirates, even as a back-up option. He added: "He will suit that style of football where they like to play the ball out from the back a little bit more. You'd imagine he's still going to be on £100,000 a week, or something like that. Who are we to judge that? "If he hasn't got that drive and that will to want to be a number one week in, week out in the Premier League then fair play to him. It's a nice place to be a number two." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
