Quick summary
- Defender Max Cleworth, 24, is the last player left from the squad that Wrexham had before Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac took over, according to LiveScore.
- Wrexham have signed 83 players since the Hollywood investment, yet Cleworth has 187 competitive appearances for the club.
- Wrexham have conceded only two of their 20 goals this season with him on the pitch.
- Separately, comic-market site Bleeding Cool says Reynolds has voiced interest in an Alpha Flight film, but reports of a greenlight are rumour.
A 24-year-old defender has outlasted every other player from Wrexham’s pre-Hollywood days, and the club’s results suggest it is no accident. LiveScore reported on 10 November that Max Cleworth is the only member left from the squad that won three promotions in a row, since Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac invested in the Welsh club.
Why Max Cleworth stands out at Wrexham
The numbers are striking. According to LiveScore, Wrexham have signed 83 players since the takeover, and reportedly spent roughly US$93 million on signings since reaching the Championship last year. Cleworth, an academy graduate who joined before his teens, is still there.
He has played in just one of Wrexham’s six defeats across all competitions this season, and in that game he came on at half-time with the side already behind against Sheffield United. Manager Phil Parkinson had questioned the fighting spirit of some players after that match, and the report says Wrexham looked much improved once Cleworth arrived.
What the stats say
Wrexham average 1.8 points per league start with Cleworth in the side, compared with 0.9 when he is absent, according to LiveScore. Of the 20 goals they have conceded this season, only two came with him on the pitch, and one of those followed an injury he had already picked up against Burnley. That was the first muscle injury of his career, and the club lost half of its matches while he recovered from a hamstring problem.
He played the full 90 minutes of all three of Wrexham’s clean sheets this season, the latest in the win over Middlesbrough five days after the Sheffield United defeat. Teammate George Dobson told the outlet that Cleworth does not get the credit he deserves and that he believes the defender could do it in the Premier League.
From the National League to the Championship
Cleworth made his first National League start against Solihull Moors in August 2021 and played 29 games that season, earning the first of three Young Player of the Season awards. Wrexham won promotion the following year. He then scored seven goals in 41 league appearances as the club went up from League One, and won the Players’ Player of the Season award.
Promotion to the Championship did not slow him down. He added another 41 league appearances as Wrexham recorded the highest finish in their history. He told Sports Illustrated that the last five years had been a “mad journey” he would be proud to have been part of.
Away from Wrexham: Alpha Flight talk
Reynolds is also in the news for his film work. Bleeding Cool reports that he has said he wants to make an Alpha Flight film after Avengers: Secret Wars. Online rumours claim the project is greenlit and that he is writing the script, but the site says there is no evidence of that yet. Treat it as speculation until Marvel confirms anything.
Meanwhile, The Times of India revived a 2022 remark from Reynolds at a Washington Post Live event: “If you’re fired up about something, you’ll find time.” It is an old quote, not new news, but it fits an actor who has run a football club alongside the Deadpool films, including Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024.
What happens next
Wrexham’s next match will show whether Parkinson keeps Cleworth in the back line after his strong run. For Reynolds, the next real marker is any official word from Marvel on Alpha Flight. For more on the club, see our reports on Reynolds on the Kop Stand and his Wrexham visit and Parkinson’s praise, or browse everything under the Ryan Reynolds tag.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the last player left from before Ryan Reynolds bought Wrexham?
Max Cleworth, a 24-year-old academy graduate and the last remaining member of the triple-promotion squad, according to LiveScore.
How many games has Max Cleworth played for Wrexham?
He has 187 competitive appearances for the club, per LiveScore.
Is Ryan Reynolds making an Alpha Flight movie?
Not confirmed. Bleeding Cool says he has expressed interest in an Alpha Flight project after Avengers: Secret Wars, but claims that it is greenlit are unverified rumours.
