Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney will be back at Wrexham next season despite the Red Dragons failing to reach the promised land of the English Football League.

That assurance came on Saturday evening from Humphrey Ker, the British comedy actor and writer who first brought the club to the attention of the Hollywood duo.

Wrexham suffered a harrowing 5-4 defeat to Grimsby Town after extra time in the National League play-off semi-finals, with Reynolds and McElhenney both at the Racecourse Ground to witness the disappointing reverse.

Ker got to know It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia star McElhenney when he joined his production company, and talks between the duo during the first COVID-19 lockdown led to the idea of becoming involved with a team, with McElhenney said to have become hooked on the Netflix documentary Sunderland 'Til I Die.

Deadpool superstar Reynolds was then brought on board and Wrexham were taken over, with the view to making a documentary series about the club, set to be titled Welcome to Wrexham.

But there was a sour twist at the end of the stars' first full season as Wrexham owners, as Grimsby's Luke Waterfall scored his second goal of the game in the 119th minute to give the Mariners victory after extra time, earning them a place in the play-off final at the London Stadium on June 5.

Adding to the cruel narrative was the fact Waterfall is a former Wrexham player.

Ker, executive director of the club, wrote on Twitter: "Thank you to all the players, staff and fans of @Wrexham_AFC for a very special first full season. We will be back, we will be stronger, and we will be honoured to do it for the people of this great town."