Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac just hit their biggest Wrexham milestone and no one noticed

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Wrexham's start to the season might not be as spectacular as fans have become accustomed to in recent years.

The Red Dragons have been on a whirlwind journey since Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac took over the club in February 2021. Wrexham narrowly missed out on escaping the National League in the A-listers' first full season at the helm.

However, Phil Parkinson's side haven't looked back since, achieving three consecutive promotions which means they find themselves in the Championship this term . Wrexham have so far registered three wins, four draws and four defeats from their first 11 league games.

Such was the lukewarm beginning to the club's campaign that rumours surfaced in mid-September that Parkinson's job was at risk . While this was later dismissed by Wrexham director Shaun Harvey, even the mere suggestion would have been unthinkable until very recently.

A first home league win of the season against Oxford United cooled some of the speculation surrounding Parkinson's future. The victory, courtesy of a Nathan Broadhead strike, also marked an achievement which largely went unnoticed, reports Wales Online .

When Reynolds and Mac initially took over Wrexham, they were merely the fourth-highest ranked Welsh team competing in the English football system. At the close of the 2021/22 season, the North Wales side finished second in the National League, while Swansea and Cardiff were both in the Championship, ending up 15th and 18th respectively. Meanwhile, Newport County ended up 11th in League Two.

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Fast forward to the conclusion of last Wednesday's matches, and Wrexham had climbed to 15th in the second tier following their victory. Swansea's 1-0 loss at home to QPR saw them slip to 16th, one spot below the Red Dragons.

With Cardiff's demotion to League One at the end of the previous season and Newport currently battling to escape from the foot of League Two, it meant that Wrexham were the top-ranked Welsh club in the Football League for the first time in 24 years.

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Granted, the margins are incredibly narrow, but going into the weekend, Wrexham were just ahead based on goals scored. Swansea's 2-1 triumph over Norwich and Wrexham's 1-1 stalemate with Middlesbrough may have nudged the Swans back on top for now, but this doesn't detract from the accomplishment.

When I began supporting the club at the turn of the millennium, Wrexham being the highest-ranked Welsh team wasn't particularly noteworthy.

However, the conclusion of the 2000/01 campaign actually marked the final occasion that occurred as the Red Dragons concluded tenth in the former Division Two. Despite Swansea suffering relegation from the identical division that term, the Bluebirds ascended following promotion from Division Three and remained superior to Wrexham throughout the entire subsequent season.

Whilst it may be pleasant to sit above their rivals once more, regardless of how briefly, Reynolds and Mac harbour grander aspirations for their football club, specifically achieving Premier League status.

When recently asked whether top-flight football remained the objective, Mac responded: "That's the way the pyramid is set up and why not us? Why should that be reserved for other towns, for other cities? It doesn't mean it's going to be easy and it doesn't mean that it's just going to happen quickly.

"It could take many, many years for it to happen. We're going to make a push to do it as quickly as possible, because we don't know any other way to do it, but we're going to do it the right way."

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The pair of Hollywood stars swiftly captured supporters' hearts upon acquiring Wrexham, yet their continued fulfilment of pledges and loyalty to the local community ensures that affection persists strongly. Whilst it may not materialise immediately, achieving Premier League football would have seemed impossible for fans merely four years ago.

However, there's a lot on the line when Cardiff make their way to the Racecourse Ground to take on Wrexham this Tuesday evening. Not only is a spot in the Carabao Cup quarter finals up for grabs, but so too is Welsh pride.

A victory for Wrexham would bolster their claim as the top Welsh team in the EFL. However, with Brian Barry-Murphy's squad performing well in the third tier, it won't be a walk in the park and a win for the Bluebirds could put a damper on that.

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.