Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney ‘ serious’ about Gareth Bale playing at Wrexham

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have said there is “seriousness” to their offer for Gareth Bale to come out of retirement and play for Wrexham.

Former Wales captain Bale was offered the opportunity to play for the Welsh club following their promotion to the English Football League in April.

The five-time Champions League winner announced his retirement at the age of 33 in January after leading Wales to their first World Cup finals appearance since 1958.

In an interview for S4C broadcast on Tuesday, Welsh journalist Maxine Hughes asked if there was “seriousness” to McElhenney and Reynolds’ offer on Twitter and if they are “actually trying to convince Gareth Bale to come and play?”

US actor McElhenney, 46, said: “I think there’s seriousness from our side, but I don’t know that there’s seriousness from his. I think he’s happy.”

Deadpool star Reynolds, 46, said: “I’m also weirdly happy for him to do exactly what he wants to do with his life.

“He’s given up so much for a sport that he loves. It’s fun, though. I like that we can kind of do some stuff that’s a little outside the box of convention when it comes to goofing around.”

He later added: “I didn’t think Ben Foster would be coming over and he did.”

Wrexham persuaded former Manchester United and England goalkeeper Foster to come out of retirement, resuming his career in March and helping the North Wales club to promotion.

He memorably saved a last-minute penalty in the crucial victory against title rivals Notts County.

Wrexham sealed their promotion to the English Football League after a 15-year absence with a 3-1 win over Boreham Wood on April 22.

Elation

Reynolds said: “I think it’s slowly dawning on me, I’m still catching up to myself, I can’t believe that I’m in a place in my life where any sports team, let alone one I happen to somehow be a co-chairman of, has affected me this deeply.

“I feel like there was a DNA change when we lived through that Boreham Wood moment, and that match.

“I don’t know that I’ll ever be quite the same again. I live in a sort of constant, slightly perpetual state of elation and I don’t want to come back down from this cloud.”

Reynolds also said he cannot stop watching the game highlights, describing it as “sort of an addiction”, and said that he is “emotionally connected” to every single player in the club.

He added: “I realise that this isn’t a sport for the soft-hearted, but to experience that moment and to bring that trophy home to Wrexham was probably at least the top one experiences of my life.”

“And I am aware that I have children,” he joked.