Latest news with #JayRodriguez
BBC News
12 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Lallana retires after 'shining career'
What can I say about Adam? Having worked with him at the start of his career for eight years and at the very end of his playing career, I know one thing for sure - he worked hard to make the most of every bit of ability he had and I think he's the most laser-focussed, determined player I languid, silky playing style belied how seriously he took himself, his career and the game. We expect his sort of drive from big vocal captain-style centre-halves, but not necessarily from a winger who skips past players and looks will o' the inbuilt drive and determination to do well may have come from being slight as a youngster and having to take a few whacks, it may have come from dealing with and overcoming a heart condition and ulcerative colitis. But whatever the cocktail was, boy did it was good as a youngster breaking into Southampton's first-team and everyone knew he had talent. But he really started to shine after the club's worst period in 2009 when they went into administration, and he, as much as any player, was responsible on the pitch for Saints' renaissance and back-to-back promotions that returned them to the Premier League in he really hit a new level after the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino. The Argentinian gave him confidence, belief, and, through tougher physical training, an extra two yards of pace. Adam used that to terrific effect, for two years Lallana, Rickie Lambert and Jay Rodriguez were a terrific trio up front for Saints, and scored 61 Premier League goals between of course those performances led to international recognition (for all of them) and the attention of big clubs. Liverpool eventually took Lallana to Anfield for £25m in 2014 as the Saints player exodus happened. It was no surprise to any of us that he dealt with the big move with ease, and even less of a surprise that Jurgen Klopp would go on to praise him for his attitude and ability, with Lallana loving the intense style of play Klopp six years at Anfield, a Premier League medal, a Champions League medal and the accolade of being England player of the year in 2016, he then took on a senior leadership role in the Brighton dressing room and worked alongside the likes of Danny Welbeck, Lewis Dunk, and James Milner to set the dressing room culture for Brighton's ensuing will be gutted his career was affected by niggling injuries in the past few years, and he'll have hated ending his playing career with Southampton's woeful last season. But he now has a chance to grow and flourish as a coach at Saints and if he puts as much thought, knowledge and determination into coaching as he did as a player, I think we all know he's going to turn out pretty good.
North Wales Live
29-04-2025
- Business
- North Wales Live
How much Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney pay Wrexham stars compared to other League One teams
Wrexham have achieved a historic third consecutive promotion and will compete in the Championship for the first time in 43 years following a 3-0 triumph over Charlton Athletic. The Red Dragons' rapid ascent through the divisions has been fuelled by the financial backing of Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, whose ambition to take the club to the Premier League remains undiminished. Last year, the duo welcomed additional minority investors to aid them in achieving their ambitious goals. The introduction of the Allyn family, previous owners of global medical device company Welch Allyn before its $2billion (£1.5bn) sale in 2015, has enabled them to expedite their growth plans both on and off the field. In January, manager Phil Parkinson made significant investments to bring in forwards Sam Smith and Jay Rodriguez from Reading and Burnley respectively, while wing-back Ryan Longman was signed from Hull City. Construction is also set to begin shortly on a new 5,500-seat Kop stand after the conclusion of the League One season. As the club's wealth continues to grow, many are left wondering how Wrexham's star players' salaries compare to those of their competitors. The club's most recent accounts, covering the 2023/24 season when the team secured automatic promotion from League Two, disclose an astonishing wage bill of £11m - a substantial increase from £6.9m in 2022/23. While the majority of that figure likely represents the men's first team, it is significantly higher than any other side in the fourth tier and is expected to have risen even further this season, reports the Mirror. According to football industry data website Wrexham had the third-highest payroll in League One this term. The total players' salaries are estimated at a gross amount of £205,200 per week or £10.67m per year. For comparison, Birmingham City, who have been confirmed as champions, reportedly spent £308,000 weekly or £16.01m annually. Just below them, Huddersfield, currently sitting 10th in the table, have shelled out £218,669 per week and £11.37m per year. On the lower end of the scale, Peterborough's squad are reported to earn a much smaller collective weekly salary of £63,812 or £3.31m annually. Meanwhile, the figures for newly-relegated Shrewsbury stand at £70,223 and £3.65m respectively. Wrexham's current payroll would place them near the bottom of the Championship, underlining the level of spending needed to compete in the second tier. It is understood that ex-Premier League forward Jay Rodriguez is the Welsh side's highest-earning player, earning approximately £15,000 per week. Club director Humphrey Ker highlighted earlier this year that projections show Wrexham will need to quadruple their wage bill at the next level. If such plans were to be implemented, it would catapult them right up to the top in financial terms. In terms of salary expenditure, top-tier Burnley have allocated £567,500 per week, totalling £29.51m for this season, whereas Leeds United follows with a weekly payroll of £707,500, which amounts to £36.79m annually. The readiness of Wrexham owners, Reynolds and McElhenney, regarding the increase in financial commitments was highlighted by Ker. Back in March, he commented: "This was something that was discussed very early on this season in terms of what it would likely end up costing. Everybody is very aware of what would be required, which is good." He also noted, "When we had that Zoom, I watched like a hawk and I was looking at Rob and Ryan's boxes to see what their faces do when these kinds of sums come up. They both looked very calm, which was good." Wrexham, under their new ownership, have notably broken their transfer record several times, including a £2m deal for Smith from Reading in January. Before this, their highest spending was close to £590,000 for Mo Faal from West Brom last summer. The club will need to invest further as they aim to strengthen their squad for the Championship level competition. An additional £8m from television rights next season will provide a financial boost for these endeavours. Following their promotion, speculation has arisen about potential summer signings for Wrexham, with high-profile figures such as Leicester City's Jamie Vardy already being mentioned. Nonetheless, manager Parkinson emphasises the importance of signing players with the right character for the Racecourse Ground, over merely seeking celebrity names. He stated: "I think that a lot of tough decisions will be made this summer, in terms of who we bring in and how we add to this fantastic squad of lads we've got, but let's see if we can build a squad to compete at that level. "I think it's interesting because the jump in salaries is incredible, mind-blowing. Even coming up to this level [League One], the jump to get players of Championship quality is expensive but obviously with the next level, I don't think people outside football quite realise. "They think players in League One must be multi-millionaires, but the drop-off from what people read about Premier League players when they come down, is huge. "That is a challenge, but what we've always tried to do is make sure the culture in the club is right and I think that's key - no superstars, no egos in the dressing room and we've got to try and get that balance right again. You always need extra quality when you go up a level to make sure the right people come into the building."
Wales Online
28-04-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Wrexham players' salaries and how much Ryan Reynolds pays compared to other teams
Wrexham players' salaries and how much Ryan Reynolds pays compared to other teams Wrexham have secured a third straight promotion to the Championship after spending big amounts in recent seasons to achieve their Hollywood owners' lofty ambitions Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have spent big on wages (Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA via Getty ) Wrexham have achieved a historic third consecutive promotion and will compete in the Championship for the first time in 43 years following a 3-0 triumph over Charlton Athletic. The Red Dragons' rapid ascent through the divisions has been fuelled by the financial backing of Hollywood heavyweights Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, whose ambition to take the club to the Premier League remains undiminished. Last year, the duo welcomed additional minority investors to aid them in achieving their ambitious goals. The introduction of the Allyn family, previous owners of global medical device company Welch Allyn before its $2billion (£1.5bn) sale in 2015, has enabled them to fast-track their growth plans both on and off the field. In January, manager Phil Parkinson made significant investments to bring in forwards Sam Smith and Jay Rodriguez from Reading and Burnley, respectively, while wing-back Ryan Longman was signed from Hull City. Construction is also set to begin shortly on a new 5,500-seat Kop stand following the conclusion of the League One season. As Wrexham's wealth continues to grow, many wonder how the salaries of the club's star players compare to those of their competitors. The club's most recent accounts, covering the 2023/24 season when the team secured automatic promotion from League Two, disclose an astonishing wage bill of £11m—a substantial increase from £6.9m in 2022/23. While the majority of that figure likely represents the men's first team, it is significantly higher than any other fourth-tier side and is expected to rise even further this season. According to football industry data website Wrexham had the third-highest payroll in League One this term. The total players' salaries are estimated at a gross amount of £205,200 per week or £10.67m per year. For comparison, confirmed champions Birmingham City reportedly spent £308,000 weekly or £16.01m annually. Article continues below Jay Rodriguez (pictured left) is said to be Wrexham's current highest-paid star (Image: Getty Images ) Just below them, Huddersfield, currently 10th in the table, have shelled out £218,669 per week and £11.37m per year. On the lower end of the scale, Peterborough's squad reportedly earns a much lower collective weekly salary of £63,812 or £3.31m annually. Meanwhile, the figures for newly-relegated Shrewsbury stand at £70,223 and £3.65m respectively. Wrexham's current payroll would place them near the bottom of the Championship, highlighting the level of spending required to compete in the second tier. It is understood that ex-Premier League forward Jay Rodriguez is the Welsh side's highest-earning player, earning approximately £15,000 per week. Club director Humphrey Ker highlighted earlier this year that projections show Wrexham will need to quadruple their wage bill at the next level. Wrexham director Humphrey Ker (pictured centre) has indicated the club's spending could be about to increase significantly (Image: PA ) If such plans were implemented, it would catapult them to the top in financial terms. By way of comparison, first-placed Burnley's wage expenditure this season hits £567,500 per week, which totals £29.51m annually. In contrast, second-placed Leeds are shelling out a heftier £707,500 weekly, amassing an annual expense of £36.79m for their wage bill. The reaction from Wrexham co-owners Reynolds and McElhenney to the news of the necessary financial uptick was quite revealing. During an interview in March, Ker said: "This was something that was discussed very early on this season in terms of what it would likely end up costing. Everybody is very aware of what would be required, which is good. The signing of Sam Smith from Reading broke Wrexham's transfer record (Image: PA ) "When we had that Zoom, I watched like a hawk and I was looking at Rob and Ryan's boxes to see what their faces do when these kinds of sums come up. They both looked very calm, which was good." In recent years, Wrexham have repeatedly shattered their transfer record, most recently spending £2m to attract Smith from Reading back in January. The largest figure prior to that hovered around £590,000 for the signing of Mo Faal, the striker brought in from West Brom last summer. Stepping up to the Championship will necessitate even greater investment in talent. An influx of an additional £8m in TV revenue next season will certainly boost efforts in this regard. 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. Sign up for Wrexham is the Game here With promotion secured, speculation has risen about potential signings during the summer with some high-profile players, including Leicester's Jamie Vardy, being mooted as targets. However Parkinson has stressed a focus on sourcing players with the right mentality for the Racecourse Ground, rather than merely chasing after superstars. He said: "I think that a lot of tough decisions will be made this summer, in terms of who we bring in and how we add to this fantastic squad of lads we've got, but let's see if we can build a squad to compete at that level. Article continues below "I think it's interesting because the jump in salaries is incredible, mind-blowing. Even coming up to this level [League One], the jump to get players of Championship quality is expensive but obviously with the next level, I don't think people outside football quite realise. "They think players in League One must be multi-millionaires, but the drop-off from what people read about Premier League players when they come down, is huge. "That is a challenge, but what we've always tried to do is make sure the culture in the club is right and I think that's key - no superstars, no egos in the dressing room and we've got to try and get that balance right again. You always need extra quality when you go up a level to make sure the right people come into the building."
Daily Mirror
28-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
How much Ryan Reynolds pays Wrexham's players compared to other teams
Wrexham's Hollywood owners have splashed the cash to lure the best players to North Wales, and it has delivered results after they achieved a third successive promotion Wrexham have secured a historic third successive promotion and will play in the Championship for the first time in 43 years after a 3-0 victory over Charlton Athletic. The Red Dragons' meteoric rise up the divisions has been powered by the financial might of Hollywood A-listers Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, and their ambition shows no signs of slowing after restating their goal of taking the club all the way to the Premier League. Last year, the two actors welcomed new minority investors to help them realise their lofty aims. The arrival of the Allyn family, who owned global medical device firm Welch Allyn before it was sold for $2billion (£1.5bn) in 2015, has allowed them to accelerate their plans for growth both on and off the pitch. During January, manager Phil Parkinson spent big to sign strikers Sam Smith and Jay Rodriguez from Reading and Burnley respectively, whilst wing-back Ryan Longman joined from Hull City. Work is also due to start imminently on a new 5,500-seat Kop stand following the end of the League One season. As their riches pile up, it's left many people to wonder how much Wrexham's star players are paid compared to their rivals. The club's latest accounts, which cover the 2023/24 season when the team gained automatic promotion from League Two, reveal a staggering wage bill of £11m - up from £6.9m in 2022/23. While that figure also includes non-playing staff, the bulk is likely to be taken up by the men's first team. That figure was well above any other side in the fourth tier and will have increased even further this campaign. According to football industry data website Wrexham had the third-highest payroll in League One this term. Total players' salaries are estimated at a gross amount £205,200 per week or £10.67m per year. For context, Birmingham City, who are confirmed as champions, reportedly spent £308,000 weekly or £16.01m annually. Just below them, Huddersfield, who are currently in 10th position in the table, have forked out £218,669 per week and £11.37m per year. At the bottom end of the scale, Peterborough's squad are reported to take home a much lower collective weekly salary of £63,812 or £3.31m annually. Meanwhile, the figures for newly-relegated Shrewsbury stand at £70,223 and £3.65m respectively. Wrexham's current payroll would place them close to the bottom of the Championship, highlighting the scale of spending required to be competitive in the second tier. Ex-Premier League forward Jay Rodriguez is understood to be the Welsh side's current highest-earning player on approximately £15,000 per week. Club director Humphrey Ker highlighted projections earlier this year that show Wrexham will need to quadruple their wage bill at the next level. If such plans were to be implemented then it would fire them right up the top in financial terms. By way of comparison, first-placed Burnley spent £567,500 per week or £29.51m on salaries this season, while second-placed Leeds' wage bill stood at £707,500 weekly and £36.79m annually. Ker also revealed the response of Reynolds and McElhenney to news of the required increase was very telling. Speaking back in March, he said: "This was something that was discussed very early on this season in terms of what it would likely end up costing. Everybody is very aware of what would be required, which is good. "When we had that Zoom, I watched like a hawk and I was looking at Rob and Ryan's boxes to see what their faces do when these kinds of sums come up. They both looked very calm, which was good." Wrexham have broken their transfer record on several occasions in recent years, with the club forking out £2m to lure Smith from Reading in January. Before that, the most they had spent was around £590,000 to sign striker Mo Faal from West Brom last summer. They will need to push the boat out even further to acquire top talents at Championship level. An extra £8m from TV revenue will make its way to the club next season, providing a helping hand in that regard. 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. With promotion now achieved, talk has turned to who Wrexham could sign during the summer transfer window, with big names like Leicester striker Jamie Vardy already linked. However, Parkinson has made clear his focus will be on bringing the right character of player to the Racecourse, rather than aiming for superstars. He said: "I think that a lot of tough decisions will be made this summer, in terms of who we bring in and how we add to this fantastic squad of lads we've got, but let's see if we can build a squad to compete at that level. "I think it's interesting because the jump in salaries is incredible, mind-blowing. Even coming up to this level [League One], the jump to get players of Championship quality is expensive but obviously with the next level, I don't think people outside football quite realise. "They think players in League One must be multi-millionaires, but the drop-off from what people read about Premier League players when they come down, is huge. "That is a challenge, but what we've always tried to do is make sure the culture in the club is right and I think that's key - no superstars, no egos in the dressing room and we've got to try and get that balance right again. You always need extra quality when you go up a level to make sure the right people come into the building."
BBC News
23-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Rodriguez's 'relief' after one of 'worst' penalties
Jay Rodriguez admits it was a "relief" to finally get off the mark for Wrexham despite his goal coming immediately after one of the "worst penalties" he has taken in his veteran striker, 35, netted his first goal on his 11th appearance since moving to north Wales from Burnley in even ending his goal drought was not without concern as Rodriguez saw his penalty saved by Stockport County goalkeeper Corey Addai in the meeting between the sides at the Stok Racecourse on for Rodriguez, he was alert to guide the rebound into the net from a tight angle as Wrexham secured another vital 1-0 win in their quest for a third successive promotion."The main thing is the three points, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thinking about getting the goal," said Rodriguez."It's a nice relief. I've always said to myself that if I continue to work hard, keep improving in every training session, do my finishing and keep knuckling down, hopefully it'll come good."I've always had that belief, it's done good for me throughout my career so I won't change now. Hopefully I can get on a run and help the team."On his spot-kick, Rodriguez said: "I think it's probably one of the worst penalties I've ever taken to be honest, it was meant to go higher than that and into the corner."But fortunately it bounced for me and I finished it. Hopefully if I do take another one it'll go straight in."Victory lifted Wrexham back above Wycombe Wanderers into second place in League One, although the Chairboys, who are three points behind the Welsh side, have a game in says he was grateful for his transfer to north Wales in the opening month of the year as the club continues to aim for the upper echelons of the football pyramid."You have to dream big otherwise there's no point in turning up every day and working hard. The best place to be is in the Premier League," added the forward."We've got eight really important games now. You can't look too far ahead but you can dream, but you have to take care of business. "It's really admirable that the club's been from where it's been to be where it is now and it's still pushing now, it's something I'm really proud to be a part of."It's a big thing for me to leave my hometown club Burnley, it had to be a really big project, and obviously Wrexham is a massive project."To be asked to come along, I'm grateful for the opportunity. It had to be a big thing, and it was a good situation for all."
