Ryan Reynolds has shown his true colours after taking time to reconnect with a former Wrexham player. The Deadpool star was at the Racecourse Ground on Saturday, where he watched his team take on Burton Albion in a League One clash.
The Hollywood actor had a warm reunion with Anthony Forde, an ex-Wrexham player who move to Burton in January. The Brewers shared a touching video on social media of Reynolds and Forde talking in the tunnel after the away side arrived, captioning it “Catching up with old friends”.
Reynolds and Forde developed a strong friendship during the latter’s stint with the Red Dragons, which began in the summer of 2022. Forde, 31, played an important role in achieving consecutive promotions from the National League to League Two under Phil Parkinson.
Their bond deepened when Reynolds stepped in to support Forde’s family during a harrowing period. Forde’s wife Laura underwent a routine MRI scan after giving birth to their son Paddy in February 2023, only to discover she had an inoperable brain tumour.
A neurosurgeon broke the devastating news that the tumour was malignant, leaving Laura with potentially just months to live. Recounting the ordeal to the Sunday Times, Laura said: “The neurologist told us it was inoperable and you have a timeline. We said then we didn’t want to know how long. Paddy was four weeks old and I am being told basically that I may not see my son turn a year old.
“No word of a lie, I was planning my funeral as I was doing those night feeds. I was crying silently. It was a really low time. A living nightmare.
“It was a very low time. In the first few months after giving birth, a woman is severely all over the place hormonally, not to mind getting this landed on me.”
Reynolds intervened upon hearing about Laura’s diagnosis, talking with the couple via FaceTime and assisting them in seeking a second opinion from a top US neurosurgeon. Fortunately, the second neurosurgeon had a much more positive outlook on Laura’s situation following a biopsy.
The pair were overjoyed when they discovered six weeks later that the tumour was benign and the initial diagnosis had been incorrect. Forde expressed his appreciation to Reynolds and fellow Wrexham owner Rob McElhenney on the Talking Transitions podcast.
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He said: “Thanks to the owners, I just don’t think I’d have got that help anywhere else – they were amazing. They’re genuinely good people who have a good heart and me and my family and friends will always be so grateful.”
Forde’s reunion with Wrexham didn’t go as planned for his new team, as relegation-threatened Burton suffered a 3-0 loss. However, on a personal note, there was another touching moment when he received a standing ovation from all corners of the stadium after being brought on as a substitute in the second half.
At the final whistle, Forde took a lap around the entire pitch to further applause, highlighting his unique bond with Wrexham and the club’s owners.
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