Ryan Reynolds posts picture of Gareth Bale in a Wrexham shirt on social media

Ryan Reynolds has not given up hope of tempting Gareth Bale out of retirement after posting a picture of the former Real Madrid star wearing a Wrexham shirt on his Instagram.

Wrexham sealed promotion to League Two last weekend, with co-owners Reynolds and Rob McElhenney celebrating on the pitch alongside the players and fans afterward.

Bale sent the club a congratulatory message on social media, prompting McElhenney to tease the possibility of trying to convince the 33-year-old to come out of retirement to play for Wrexham next term.

Reynolds is also keen on getting Bale to play in the fourth tier of English football and called for ‘a season’ of the five-time Champions League winner at Wrexham earlier this week.

He has now put out a picture of Bale in a Wrexham shirt on his Instagram story with the caption ‘What if…’ hinting that there could still be a small chance of Bale coming back to play for the Welsh outfit.

Gareth Bale retired from football in January after playing for Wales at last year’s World Cup

Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney both want him to join their club

Reynolds has now posted an image of Bale in a Wrexham shirt on his Instagram story

Bale announced his immediate retirement from football in January just one month after captaining Wales at the World Cup in Qatar.

He revealed the decision had been ‘the hardest of my career’, but has kept to his word so far.

He has been seen at games, though, as he gave an emotional farewell to the Wales fans prior to their Euro 2024 qualifying match with Latvia in March, having also paraded the MLS Cup championship ring in front of supporters alongside his former LAFC team-mates earlier in the month.

Bale wouldn’t be the only player Wrexham has tempted out of retirement after ex-Premier League goalkeeper Ben Foster signed a short-term deal last month.

He played a key role in getting the club over the line in their promotion push, making a crucial last-minute penalty save in their 3-2 win over nearest rivals Notts County.

It remains unclear for now as to whether he will continue to play for the team next year in League Two.

One of Bale’s former international team-mate Hal Robson-Kanu has also offered to sign for the side ahead of next season, claiming he would be willing to give all of his wages to charity.