- Famous faces in British boardrooms
- Raised profile of the game in America
- Players adjusting to different demands
WHAT HAPPENED?
That is the opinion of former Tottenham and England star Darren Anderton, who spent time at St Andrew’s as a player. He is now watching on from afar, at his home in California, and sees only positives to a trend that is seeing more famous faces buy into British football while raising the mass appeal of a sport that is already global.
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WHAT ANDERTON SAID
Speaking to GOAL in association with William Hill, ex-Blues winger Anderton said when asked if the likes of Brady and Reynolds are good for the game or a potential distraction: “I think it’s a good thing. Interest is always a good thing, especially around the world. The Premier League and English football is such a global game – always has been, but even more so now, particularly in America which is all about sport. They have got the four other big sports and it’s about trying to break into that, but we live in California now and I can watch more Premier League games than I can in England. For Birmingham, I think it’s a good thing. It gives the area a lift. Everyone knows who Tom Brady is – he is a great guy. He wouldn’t be doing it just for fun. He believes in the people he is going in there with and will have done his due diligence on what he is getting involved in. I think it is a really good thing for Birmingham.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Hollywood stars Reynolds and McElhenney have dominated the celebrity ownership scene in Britain – with the help of their award-winning ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary series – and Anderton added on modern players having to grow accustomed to life in front of the camera on and off the field: “It’s definitely bizarre! When a world superstar, a celebrity like that comes in, you are probably very nervous around them and just go with it. At the level they were playing at, they probably couldn’t believe their luck. It has been an amazing story. Being in America, when I say that I used to play football, people always ask me about Ted Lasso or Wrexham! It’s pretty ridiculous, but I love the story. Finishing my career at Bournemouth, I know where that story can go. What a great story. You don’t get that in America, you don’t get the relegation and promotion. People watching that show now have a much better understanding of how we do it here and they love it. It’s a very interesting dynamic, but something that the players have taken to and are enjoying it – they are enjoying the limelight, and there is nothing wrong with that. When you are doing well, like that lift Jurgen [Klinsmann] gave when he came to Spurs, to everyone, everybody wanted to come and watch us and be part of Tottenham and Jurgen. That was an amazing thing for me as a player and something that I will always look back on as one of the most enjoyable seasons of my career.”
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WHAT NEXT?
Wrexham are looking to get more marquee transfer business completed this summer, alongside League One rivals Birmingham, and interest in their exploits will continue to build. The Red Dragons will be heading to North America as part of their pre-season preparations, but efforts in the West Midlands to take a competitive fixture to the States in 2024-25 have been knocked back.
