Where Wrexham are the same as Celtic with Hollywood-backed club sharing one thing in common with Hoops

A Wrexham star has pulled back the curtain on how the Hollywood-backed club are just like Celtic on one aspect.

Eoghan O'Connell was once a Parkhead prospect and made senior appearances for Celtic before leaving permanently in 2017. He has since established himself as a reliable centre-back in the EFL with Bury, Rochdale, Charlton Athletic and Wrexham, who have been promoted to League One from the division below after winning the National League last season.

The Welsh club have become a major football talking point in recent seasons thanks to the ownership of Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, buoyed by the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ series on Disney+. Now the Irish defender has revealed how the club’s new-found global appeal has them on par with Celtic when it comes to away day followings.

He told the Athletic: “This club can become as big as it wants. Wrexham are global. That hit us all in the summer, when we were in North Carolina playing Chelsea (in a pre-season friendly).

"I remember being in the tunnel before the warm-up. They went out and there was a little roar. We then went out and the place really lifted. That’s why I say it is a global club.

"I also think back to Halifax away last year and the numbers we took [4,500 fans made the trip]. We got beat but I remember thinking in the warm-up it was similar to a Celtic away day when I was there as a younger player. I do think with the fanbase, the people involved running the club and the owners, the world is your oyster, really.”