Latest news with #RyanHardie
BBC News
19 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Wrexham boss Parkinson's lowdown on new signings
Wrexham are preparing for life in English football's second tier for the first time in 43 years and manager Phil Parkinson has added to his squad during Dragons have brought in Wales goalkeeper Danny Ward from Leicester City, forward Ryan Hardie from Plymouth Argyle and left-back Liberato Cacace for a club-record fee from George Thomason from Bolton Wanderers has also signed along with forward Josh Windass, who was a free agent after leaving financially troubled Sheffield signing of midfielder Lewis O'Brien from Nottingham Forest is another statement of intent by the club owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob and Hardie were signed early on in the close season while Parkinson has added another four over recent weeks."We were working hard while we were away in Australia and New Zealand," Parkinson said."It was pointless flying any new signings over because of the jet lag situation, so we'd arranged to finalise deals when we got back."We're pleased with that business we did while we were out there and the new lads have had a good week training with the lads so far." Danny Ward "He's come in and he's been everything we expected. A really good lad, obviously a homecoming for him as well."But a very good goalkeeper and wants to get himself back going again."I think he's done remarkably well to play for Wales when he hasn't been a regular at his club team."I think that's a huge testament to his professionalism." Ryan Hardie "Obviously Ryan, when you look at his goal scoring record in the last two years in a Championship team which was down the bottom of the league and always fighting against it, showed real quality and real coolness in front of goal."He was a signing we wanted to make early and we were able to bring him in, which obviously enabled him to come on the tour with us." Liberato Cacace "We watched him a lot and had a good chat with him over the last few weeks prior to him coming in."I feel he's a good profile for us. - he's hungry, he wants to improve, he's got real determination about the way he plays and he's got power and pace."As we go up into this next division, that's going to be so important."I feel Libby's settled in well. He's a little bit behind in terms of his training than the others because obviously he hasn't done as much pre-season, but he'll get there. George Thomason "I've always liked George and I've watched him a lot over the years."I think he's a player with a lot of potential. He's only 24 and he's eager to test himself at this level."He captained Bolton in the second part of last season and he's a good profile for us in terms of a player who's got a real hunger and desire to keep improving."We're very pleased we were able to bring George in." Josh Windass "He's a player with so much experience and an eye for goal and assists as well. "Josh is a real talent and I think our supporters are going to enjoy watching him play."We looked at him a lot over the summer and obviously there's a bit of turmoil at Sheffield Wednesday."But not just his ability, we looked at his physical output as well and it's really high for his position and that's important as we go into this league or any league."But yeah, he's got craft, he's got quality in and around the box and that's obviously important in the Championship."Games are going to be tight, you're going to need players who are going to produce moments."I think for a free transfer, it was a great opportunity for us and we took it quickly." Lewis O'Brien "I've known him for a long time from his Huddersfield days when he went on loan to Bradford when he was a youngster and he did great."He was part of the Huddersfield team that got in the [2022 Championship] play-off final and obviously got a big money move to Forest."He's had a period where he's been on loan in the MLS and he went to Swansea in the back part of last season."I really like Lewis, I think he's a player with a lot of Championship pedigree. He's a player who's played at this level and done really well and we're very pleased."Lewis is versatile. He can play as a 10, which he did for Swansea. He can play anywhere across the midfield three or sitting in there as a six in a midfield two."So he gives us that flexibility in there. There was a lot of clubs who were trying to do the deal and we were able to get it over the line and we're pleased with that."
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.
New York Times
20-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Wrexham Down Under: A tour that whets the appetite and underlines next season's spike in difficulty
For any Wrexham fans hoping for a few pointers to the future, the tour Down Under did not disappoint. Not necessarily in a football sense, with a combination of only Ryan Hardie and Danny Ward arriving as new signings prior to the squad jetting out to Australia and fitness being the priority at this stage of pre-season, meaning that the three games told us very little we didn't already know. Advertisement Off the field, however, was a different story, with two of the three stadia playing host to Wrexham having been designed by Populous, the firm behind both the new Kop and the overall master plan that will see The Racecourse's capacity eventually rise to around 28,000. Kicking off the tour at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium and then finishing eight days later at Sky Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand, gave the small band of loyal fans who made the trip from Wales, plus the players and staff, a taste of what to possibly expect when the oldest international venue still in use finally gets upgraded for the 21st century. Both may have been built in an oval shape to house top-flight Australian rules football in the AFL, making the pitch for Wrexham's visit a long way from the stands. But the facilities are excellent, including seating with plenty of legroom and good access throughout, despite the two venues now being a little over 25 years old. Plenty to look forward to then as the clock ticks down towards June 2026, and the promised opening of the new 5,500 capacity Kop for the next UEFA Under-19s Championship. As for the football, a tour that ended on Saturday with a 1-0 defeat to Wellington Phoenix merely confirmed what we all knew back in April after that third consecutive promotion had been clinched. Namely, if Wrexham are to survive in the Championship, then their squad needs a serious upgrade. Phil Parkinson and his staff are as aware of this as anyone. It's why their club record transfer fee was broken late on Friday as Empoli left wing-back Liberato Cacace signed in what represents a significant widening of the recruitment net beyond the shores of Britain and Ireland. Further deals are planned before the season's opener at Southampton on August 9, with Bolton Wanderers captain George Thomason very much on the radar along with Josh Windass, the former Rangers forward who recently had his contract at Sheffield Wednesday cancelled by mutual consent amid the financial chaos engulfing the Yorkshire club. Advertisement Lewis O'Brien, the Nottingham Forest midfielder, is also one of several long-standing targets as Parkinson looks to equip his side for one of football's more challenging step-ups in quality. As ever, at this time of year, patience is likely to be key, particularly when it comes to the Premier League loan market that Parksinon has previously pledged to tap into. Most top-flight managers prefer to take their promising youngsters on tour before then assessing any loan options, meaning deals often get done only after the EFL season has got under way. The bottom line is that the 25-man squad demanded under Championship rules after the transfer window has closed on September 1 should look very different to the travelling party heading home from New Zealand this weekend. This makes any assessment of the tour difficult. As, to be fair, does the timing, with this year's trip having come earlier in pre-season than the 2024 jaunt to the U.S. and Canada. Back then, Wrexham faced Bournemouth on July 20, Chelsea four days later and then Vancouver Whitecaps on the final weekend of July. This meant the players were further along in their preparations for a campaign that began on August 10. It also helped that five new faces had arrived before heading across the Atlantic, as opposed to just two this time around when taking on a trio of A-League clubs. Nevertheless, there were a few things to glean from Australia and New Zealand — chief among these was how Parkinson largely persevered with the 3-5-1-1 formation that proved so effective during last season's run-in. He did, though, mix things up slightly against a youthful Wellington side by playing two deep-lying midfielders, with Harry Ashfield and Elliot Lee pushed further forward behind Ollie Palmer. Lee, in particular, was unfortunate not to equalise early in the second half. Advertisement Hardie looks a promising addition, bagging his first goal since joining from Plymouth Argyle for £700,000 via a predatory near-post finish in the 3-0 win over Melbourne Victory. Ryan Barnett provided the cross for Hardie's goal but, really, it was Ryan Longman's deliveries from the flank that stood out on the tour. The January signing from Hull City arrived with plenty of Championship experience and already he's shaping up to be a key man at a level Wrexham last played in 1982. As was clear Down Under, both wing-backs will again be pivotal to how Wrexham play. Parkinson demands plenty, including how one wing-back shaping up to cross must be the cue for the other on the opposite flank to make a quick dart into the penalty box. The ploy worked well last season, particularly when James McClean and Barnett were in tandem. There were glimpses again here, including when McClean really should have done better with a free header from a Barnett cross in the 2-1 defeat to Sydney FC. Cacace's arrival adds an intriguing extra aspect to this mix. Much will depend on how quickly the pacey Kiwi international takes to get up to speed with what his new manager wants from the role. Twelve months ago, several new signings who went on to become key figures in the promotion push, including player of the year Ollie Rathbone, had to wait for their chance. Maybe Cacace will have to be similarly patient. As for his new team-mates, amid the inevitable rustiness of early pre-season that perhaps explains the mistake by Arthur Okonkwo that gifted Wellington their winner, perhaps the best that can be said is that the tour fulfilled the need to get matchday minutes into the legs. This is always the prime target in the early weeks of pre-season, as captain McClean made clear in a diary entry for The Athletic from Australia. Most of the club's senior contingent played 45 minutes in the 3-0 victory over Melbourne Victory, followed by a further hour and then 30 minutes spread across the defeats in Sydney and Wellington. Sam Smith was the notable exception with a calf problem that meant, as had been anticipated before leaving the UK, he sat out all three fixtures. Hardie also missed the Sydney defeat after picking up a knock, while Jay Rodriguez managed just half an hour's playing time due to a niggling foot problem. Advertisement The big loss was Rathbone, who flew home in a protective boot after injuring his ankle against Sydney. He will be assessed further in a week or so but Parkinson has already admitted things don't look 'too good' for the midfielder. Losing the 28-year-old for an extended period of the upcoming campaign would be a big blow. Jack Marriott, meanwhile, stayed behind as his team-mates flew home after having his appendix removed but should be cleared to resume training once home. Even allowing for the timing of the tour and inevitable rustiness, there's no escaping how disappointing two defeats and a victory are as a return against opposition from a competition regarded by many familiar with both the EFL and the A-League as being on a par with League One. Equally, though, results count for little at this stage, not least because those planned incomings mean the squad make-up is likely to be very different once the 'real' action gets under way next month. Where the true lasting effect of Wrexham's maiden tour Down Under is likely to be found is off the field. A 25,399 crowd in Wellington took the combined total of fans who turned out to watch the Welsh club across the three games through the 100,000 mark. Throw in all the additional commercial benefits, including how every item of merchandise shipped to Australia before the tour was snapped up by eager fans, and the club has done well out of the tour. Now, though, Wrexham need to get just as busy as those souvenir vendors when it comes to strengthening the squad sufficiently to still be a Championship team come the much-anticipated opening of the new Kop in a year's time.
USA Today
14-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Sydney FC vs. Wrexham: How to watch, TV channel, live stream
The Wrexham Down Under Tour continues early Tuesday morning U.S. time when the Red Dragons face Sydney FC in a friendly. Wrexham kicked off the tour on Friday with a 3-0 win over Melbourne Victory. Tom O'Connor, Ryan Hardie and George Evans scored for Phil Parkinson's club. Now the scene shifts to Sydney, where Wrexham will face the five-time Australian champions at Allianz Stadium. Watch Sydney FC vs. Wrexham on Fubo After a third consecutive promotion last season, Wrexham is preparing for its first season in the Championship in more than 40 years. The tour will conclude on Saturday in New Zealand, when Wrexham faces Wellington Phoenix at the Wellington Regional Stadium. Wrexham's first game of the Championship campaign will be on Aug. 9, when it visits Southampton. Here is everything you need to know ahead of the game. How to watch Sydney FC vs. Wrexham We recommend interesting sports viewing/streaming and betting opportunities. If you sign up for a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage
AU Financial Review
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- AU Financial Review
No Hollywood stars but Wrexham beat youthful Victory
Key signing Ryan Hardie marked his first appearance in a Wrexham shirt with a goal as the Welsh club kicked off its tour Down Under with a 3-0 win over Melbourne Victory. The club bought by Hollywood A-listers Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac (formerly McElhenney) in 2021 will next face Sydney FC on Tuesday before completing their tour against Wellington Phoenix on July 19. AAP
