Wrexham drafted in two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning as a fan ahead of Monday’s League One clash against Birmingham City, in whom legendary quarterback Tom Brady holds a 3.3% stake.
The club made the announcement on its Instagram account Friday, with a post that read: “We are honoured that @elimanning has coincidentally, (because Co-chairmen @robmcelhenney & @vancityreynolds begged him) joined the @Wrexham_AFC fanbase, just in time for our match over at @TomBrady’s @BCFC on Monday night.”
Manning then commented: “Now I can beat @tombrady in football and fútbol! Go @wrexham_afc!”
Manning, 43, played for the New York Giants for 16 years and led the team to victory in both Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI over Brady’s New England Patriots. He is also a “strategic investor” in NWSL side NJ/NY Gotham FC.
Monday’s clash at St Andrew’s in Birmingham, England, sees two unbeaten sides go head-to-head in League One. Wrexham are in first place in the third tier of English football with four wins and a draw, while Birmingham have played four matches and have three wins and a draw.
The game has been unofficially dubbed the “Hollywood Derby,” withDerby and Rob McElhenney’s Wrexham coming up against Brady’s Birmingham.
A superb second-half goal from substitute Callum Hudson-Odoi gave Nottingham Forest the biggest surprise win of the Premier League season so far as they beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield on Saturday.
The win was Forest’s first at Anfield since 1969, and the players and the away fans celebrated accordingly as the home crowd was left to rue a rudderless display from the Reds that lacked a cutting edge.
Liverpool dominated the opening half, and Luis Díaz came close to breaking the deadlock in the 17th minute, hustling to keep the ball in play on the Forest goal line and cutting inside before firing a rasping shot off the near post.
Two minutes later, Mohamed Salah crossed beautifully with the outside of his left boot for Dominik Szoboszlai, whose header went just wide as Liverpool increased the pressure.
In truth, though, Salah was being well-contained by Forest fullback Álex Moreno, who was relentless in his pursuit of the Egypt international before being replaced late on.
