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Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Wrexham wrapped up big-money transfer in Italian restaurant as star's dad speaks out
Wrexham signed Liberato Cacace from Serie A side Empoli and his dad has praised the club's family feel after hosting the manager and CEO at his restaurant in New Zealand The father of one of Wrexham 's new big-money signings has revealed how he toasted the deal with club chiefs when they visited his restaurant. Liberato Cacace signed for the Red Dragons from Italian side Empoli earlier this month in a deal believed to be worth just over £2million, potentially rising to as much as £4m with add-ons. The left-back has played in Serie A for the last three-and-a-half years, racking up 86 league appearances. Empoli were ultimately relegated from the Italian top tier at the end of last season. The New Zealand international was widely expected to stay in the division following interest from the likes of Cagliari, Pisa and Cremonese. However, Wrexham, owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, stole a march to secure Cacace's signature as he penned a three-year contract with the Championship new boys. The Welsh outfit were coincidentally set to play a friendly match in the 24-year-old's hometown of Wellington, New Zealand, around the time the deal was finalised. Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson and chief executive Michael Williamson took the opportunity to pop in to his dad's restaurant, La Bella Italia, for a glass of wine and some food. Antonio Cacace, who was born in Naples but moved to New Zealand in 1992, has now explained how their visit convinced him that his son made the right choice. Speaking in an interview due to be aired by Wrexham fan podcast Fearless in Devotion on Wedneday, he said: "We only knew at the last minute that they were coming which was fantastic and that's proof of the family environment at Wrexham. It was an honour and a pleasure for us to meet Phil and Michael. "We had a little bit to eat and a glass of wine. We appreciate how humble these people are to come and meet the parents of a player. It was a fantastic experience for them and for us, also for the team to be here in Wellington. "Just the fact that they came to see us, that's already a sign that they're going to look after Liberato. During the hour and a half to two hours that we were there talking, laughing and singing, that [feeling] became even more strong." Williamson played a key role in signing Cacace having previously held senior roles with Serie A giants Inter Milan. As per New Zealand news outlet Stuff, this enabled him to speak directly with his agent and Empoli's sporting director. Wrexham were in New Zealand to play a friendly against Cacace's boyhood club Wellington Phoenix as part of their pre-season tour Down Under. They lost 1-0 in a surprise result but their pain was eased by the signing of the local hero. Outlining his son's motivation for joining Wrexham, Antonio said: "Being a humble man, he loves the fact of being in a nice, small community, where everyone is behind the team and the club. I think that's the major reason why he chose to come to Wrexham. "After a very disappointing time when Empoli went down to Serie B, he always expressed the desire to stay in Serie A. There were two or three clubs very interested in having Liberato, along with Wrexham. "We always talk to each other and he came to us several times [for advice]. At the end, he decided to choose Wrexham." Wrexham have achieved huge success since Reynolds and McElhenney bought the club in 2021 after registering three successive promotions. They now sit just one level below the Premier League and Antonio hopes his son can help continue their meteoric rise, despite confessing he would one day like to see him play for his own hometown team Napoli. "If Wrexham get to the Premier League, it will be an incredible journey," said Antonio. "It will be fantastic, not only for the players and the club, but also for the community, which I understand is strong, wonderful and warm. "Liberato will give 300 percent to make that happen. I can feel it and I can see it from speaking to him in the last few days. He's very focused, very determined and very committed to do well, which is great." He added: "To be honest, it is a dream for me [for Liberato to play for Napoli]. Maybe it would be a dream for Liberato as well, especially with the way Napoli is now with [Antonio] Conte as coach. "But at the end of the day, if he gets to the Premier League, I think he will have achieved what he always wanted to achieve, which is [to play in] Serie A and the Premier League. These are the two best leagues in the world." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. 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.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Ryan Reynolds is paying stars Premier League wages as surprising 'Wrexham tax' claim made
A Wrexham director has lifted the lid on how the club's Hollywood owners are paying top-level wages to attract star players as they prepare for the Championship Wrexham are splashing out Premier League wages in their bid to compete in the Championship, a club director has revealed. The Red Dragons have been busy in the transfer market this summer after making six new signings. Plymouth striker Ryan Hardie, former Leicester goalkeeper Danny Ward and Empoli left-back Liberato Cacace were their first three arrivals after Wrexham were promoted to the second tier in April. They were followed by Bolton captain George Thomason, ex-Sheffield Wednesday forward Josh Windass and Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O'Brien, who all joined last week. More new recruits are expected to follow before Wrexham 's opening league game away at Southampton as manager Phil Parkinson looks to strengthen his squad. Club director Shaun Harvey has now lifted the lid on how the Welsh side's Hollywood owners, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, are paying top level salaries to entice players to the Racecourse Ground. Speaking on former Wrexham and Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster's Fozcast podcast, he said: "Our model has always been, we wanted to sign players that were at least used to playing one division higher than we were playing in. "If we're going to do that now, we're signing players who are Premier League quality and they want Premier League wages. If you're looking at signing players from the top end of the Championship to help you on your journey, they're earning fortunes more. "Our wage bill per month now will be more than we paid for the whole time we were in the National League." Despite the significant outlay, Harvey remarkably claimed the club is no longer having to fork out additional premiums as often to convince new signings to join. The ex-EFL chief executive said the so-called "Wrexham tax" - which saw the club having to offer a financial sweetener for players to drop down divisions - was a thing of the past. "That was worse in League One and League Two than it is in the Championship, and this will be a surprise to a lot of people," he said. "We were having to persuade players who were better than the standard of the division we were playing in to drop down to play." O'Brien, Wrexham's latest recruit, has spoken openly about the factors which persuaded him to join the club. It followed the Red Dragons fending off interest from several of their Championship rivals to secure his signature. "It's kind of crazy what's happened at Wrexham, it's surreal really," the 26-year-old midfielder told The Leader. "I've watched the Disney programme and it's like a Disney story - the third oldest club in the world having back-to-back-to-back promotions. "Once you see that and hear the club want to sign you, you want to be part of it. I'm absolutely buzzing. It's been a long time coming but to finally be here feels great." He added: "The last couple of years has been a bit of a whirlwind for me and my family but to sign somewhere I can call home is a great feeling. We've just had a little girl so we'll definitely be looking to move to the area. "I ended the season with Swansea and I've had a couple of spells in America so now it's time to find somewhere we can call home." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. 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.
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Pricey Wrexham signing 'just like Jack Wilshere' as ex-team-mates' comments speak volumes
Wrexham have signed a Premier League midfielder who has been compared to Jack Wilshere in a deal worth a reported £5million as they prepare for life in the Championship Wrexham have signed a new player who has been highly praised by his former team-mates and managers. The Red Dragons swooped to bring in Lewis O'Brien from Nottingham Forest on Thursday in a deal reportedly worth up to £5million. The Welsh side fended off interest from other Championship clubs to secure the midfielder's signature on a three-year contract, becoming their sixth summer arrival. The 26-year-old impressed on loan in the second tier with Swansea City during the second half of last season after previously spending time with Los Angeles FC in the MLS. O'Brien said he was "absolutely buzzing" to join Wrexham after the deal was announced. Such are his talents that he was even compared to ex- England and Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere by one of his colleagues at Forest. Defender Moussa Niakhate drew the parallels in a post on Instagram after O'Brien delivered a man-of-the-match performance in a 1-0 victory over West Ham shortly after arriving at the club in 2022. His attributes were also hailed by former Forest boss Steve Cooper. "Lewis is a great ball carrier, he has a good engine and is great technically. He is tactically good as well," said Cooper after O'Brien joined. "Lewis is driven to do well. I had a good conversation with him about that and it is important to us. "We can get even more out of him, which is the exciting bit. I had a positive talk with [Ryan] Yatesy about him because they had a few good ding-dongs. There is a real mutual respect between them." O'Brien's former Bradford team-mate Adam Chicksen, who now plays for Notts County, is another who has praised his strengths. Speaking to The Athletic in 2022, Chicksen said: "His attitude had a really good impact on the team. "He was never arrogant, he was humble and he never stopped listening, even when he had established himself as an important figure. He was so good at being in the right position; he would break lines and get into dangerous areas. "He was always on the move. He could strike a ball really, really well. He was a smart, intelligent player. His passing was so clean, so smooth. There was never any bobble. You never worried about getting a ball from him. He had a bit of everything." Despite his qualities, O'Brien failed to make an impact at Forest and leaves the City Ground after only featuring on 17 occasions for the club. He made 16 appearances for Swansea on loan last season after arriving during the January transfer window. He played an important part as they secured a mid-table finish in the Championship after previously flirting with relegation. Speaking after signing for Wrexham, O'Brien said: "I'm absolutely buzzing. "It's been a long time coming, but to be here is great. The last couple of years has been a whirlwind for me and my family, but to sign a long-term contract and find somewhere I can call home is a great feeling. "After speaking to everyone here, it's a club with a lot of ambition. I want to be part of that journey, and take Wrexham to where they want to be." Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson said: "I'm delighted to welcome Lewis to the club. He's a player with a lot of experience at this level and will be a great addition to the group. We're looking forward to working with him." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. 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.
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Ryan Reynolds smashes Wrexham transfer record as Premier League star suddenly agrees terms
Wrexham are set to break their transfer record with a new signing as part of a £10m summer spree backed by their Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney Wrexham look set to smash their transfer record to sign Nottingham Forest star Lewis O'Brien. The Red Dragons were originally reported to have agreed a £5million deal for the midfielder earlier this month. Talks between the newly promoted Championship side and the 26-year-old hit a stumbling block, though, as they struggled to agree personal terms. However, the move is now understood to be close to completion after significant progress was made on Wednesday. O'Brien impressed on loan in the second tier with Swansea City during the latter half of last season after previously spending time with LAFC in the MLS. The Swans were among a number of Championship outfits hoping to secure his services on a permanent basis. But the BBC reports that their North Wales rivals appear to have beaten them to the punch. While it's been claimed in some quarters that Wrexham have reduced their initial bid in order to offer a stronger financial package to O'Brien, the fee is still expected to surpass the club's current record of £2.16m. The sum was paid to sign New Zealand international Liberato Cacace from Empoli last week and could potentially rise to as much as £4m with add-ons. O'Brien joined Forest from Huddersfield Town in 2022 but has made only 17 appearances since arriving at the City Ground. If he completes his move to Wrexham, he will become manager Phil Parkinson 's sixth summer recruit since securing promotion from League One in April. The club's Hollywood co-owners, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, have sanctioned significant spending, with striker Ryan Hardie being the first to join from Plymouth for a reported amount of around £700,000. That was followed by Leicester goalkeeper Danny Ward on a free transfer and Cacace. Bolton captain George Thomason was then brought in for £1.2m on Monday, with ex-Sheffield Wednesday forward Josh Windass becoming Wrexham's most recent addition on Wednesday. No fee was paid after Windass left the Owls by mutual agreement following an issue with late wage payments. The signing of O'Brien could take Wrexham's total outlay in the current window close to the £10m mark as they look to assemble a squad capable of competing in the Championship. Sheffield United striker Kieffer Moore is also said to be on their radar to bolster their options up front. Parkinson has freed up space in his squad by allowing three players to leave the Racecourse Ground. Wrexham talisman Paul Mullin joined Wigan Athletic on loan in a surprise move after being frozen out by the manager during the second half of last season. Defender Will Boyle made a permanent switch to Shrewsbury Town, with wing-back Luke Bolton going to Mansfield Town. Steven Fletcher, Mark Howard, Josh Adam, Jordan Davies, Harry Dean, Brad Foster and Liam Hall were also released at the end of last season, while striker Sam Dalby rejected a new deal in favour of joining Bolton. Wrexham are due to start their first campaign in the second tier in 43 years away to Southampton on Saturday, August 9. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. 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.
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Wrexham's next signing slammed club legend he's 'miles better than' as clip resurfaces
A new player is set to join Wrexham in the coming days, but he may need to apologise to one of his team-mates after some brutal comments came back to haunt him Wrexham's next recruit could be in for an uncomfortable introduction after a clip of him criticising one of his soon-to-be team-mates resurfaced online. Josh Windass is tipped to sign for the Red Dragons on a free transfer this week following his departure from Sheffield Wednesday by mutual consent. The forward left Hillsborough last week amid issues with the club not paying players' wages promptly for May and June. The son of Hull City icon Dean, Windass is believed to have completed a medical on Monday having already agreed personal terms with Wrexham. Last season, the 31-year-old made waves in the Championship with Wednesday, bagging 13 goals and setting up five more. His imminent move is set to delight manager Phil Parkinson as he aims to bolster the squad after their promotion to the second tier in April. However, Windass may have amends to make upon meeting his new mates after the reappearance of a video showing him criticising Wrexham striker Ollie Palmer on social media. During a February 2024 episode of the Pitch Side podcast, Windass claimed he was "miles better" than Palmer, who has scored 44 times in 155 games for the club. Windass's brash remarks were in response to Palmer's assertion that he could net 20 goals a season in the Premier League if he played for Manchester City. He didn't hold back his thoughts, saying: "Ollie Palmer said he'd get 20 goals for City, didn't he? It's absolutely delusional at the highest level. No offence to Ollie Palmer." When asked if he could notch a few goals in the top flight himself, Windass responded: "But I'm miles better than Ollie Palmer. If I was getting 20 goals for Man City every year, I'd be playing for Man City. He [Palmer] doesn't even get 15 [for Wrexham]." Palmer has become a fan favourite at Wrexham since his transfer from Wimbledon in January 2022 for a record-breaking £300,000. His 17 goals were pivotal in Wrexham's ascent from the National League in 2023, where they clinched the title with an impressive 111 points. But Palmer's goal-scoring prowess waned last season, managing just three goals in 27 outings. Manager Parkinson left him out of the team in the latter half of the season following new attacking signings in January. The decision to sideline Palmer led to public criticism from his father. Andy Palmer, who previously served as a protection officer for the Royal Family, took to social media to challenge Parkinson to "swallow his pride" and give his son more game time. Meanwhile, Windass is set to become the club's fifth summer signing following the acquisitions of striker Ryan Hardie from Plymouth, goalkeeper Danny Ward from Leicester, left-back Liberato Cacace from Empoli and midfielder George Thomason from Bolton. 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.
