Ben Foster reveals how Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney reacted to Wrexham penalty save

Wrexham goalkeeper Ben Foster has revealed that co-owner Ryan Reynolds called him ‘a double handsome b*****d’ following the 97th minute penalty save on Monday that put the club on the brink of returning to the EFL for the first time in 15 years.

Wrexham have become something of a global phenomenon since Reynolds and fellow actor Rob McElhenney launched their takeover in late 2020. The Disney+ series Welcome to Wrexham has even made various people connected with the club into international celebrities.

But Wrexham, one of the most historic clubs in the entire English football pyramid, haven’t played in the EFL since 2008, almost ceased to exist in 2011 due to financial problems, and recorded their lowest ever league finish in 150 years mere months before the takeover process began.

The 3-2 win over Notts County was the last big hurdle in realising the club’s dream of promotion.

• Wrexham 3-2 Notts County: Ben Foster saves injury-time penalty

Wrexham narrowly missed out on a place in the National League play-offs in 2020/21. They were then beaten to the title and the only automatic promotion spot by Stockport County in 2021/22, before getting knocked out of that season’s play-offs at the semi-final stage.

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Almost at the end of 2022/23, Wrexham went into Monday’s game at the Racecourse level on 100 points with Notts County. No other teams have remotely kept pace with the pair this season, but only one is guaranteed a place in League Two next season and whoever won was going to be firmly in the driving seat to finish in first place as champions.

Notts County took the lead, but Wrexham struck back to go 2-1 ahead. There another equaliser, before Elliot Lee scored what would eventually be the winner. But not until Foster, who was scouted by Manchester United during his first spell at Wrexham 18 years ago, saved the last ditch penalty to preserve the 3-2 lead and put the club three points ahead with a game in hand.

Foster, who developed a second career as a social media and YouTube personality, had been out of football for 10 months since leaving Watford last summer and his recent arrival as extra cover in goal was criticised by some as a kind of PR stunt.

Preserving Wrexham’s in what is likely to be remembered as one of the most important in the club’s modern history was the perfect way to silence the doubters. What’s more, the co-owners, who had made the trip over from the United States, were beside themselves.

“Rob kissed me fully on the lips and Ryan called me a double handsome b*****d. I'll take that,” Foster revealed. “They're so happy, if you could order an absolute bob on, top of the class, top of the range owner, then you would just package them two up because they are as good as it gets.

“It means so much to them, they care so much, they do it properly. I've been here for what three weeks now and it's ran so professionally you would not believe. It is ridiculous how they run it, so fair play to them they deserve all they get.”

The scenes at the Racecourse on Monday, as well as the events of the whole 2022/23 season, are set to be covered in Welcome to Wrexham season two.

• Welcome to Wrexham: When will season two be released?