'Marcus Rashford ended my Man United career - now I'm joining Ryan Reynolds for big money'

Wrexham are poised to shatter their club-record transfer fee with the signing of a striker whose youth career at Manchester United was curtailed by the emergence of Marcus Rashford.

The Red Dragons, financially backed by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, are on the brink of sealing a multi-million-pound deal for Reading's Sam Smith. Despite currently sitting third in League One, Wrexham have been grappling with a goal drought this season.

Smith, 26, has netted 11 times this campaign for the Royals, who are facing financial difficulties under owner Dai Yongge, making them susceptible to losing key players. The Reading Chronicle suggests that Smith's move to Wrexham is nearing completion, following his consistent scoring record in the third tier over the past four seasons.

Smith honed his skills at Manchester United's academy early in his career, rubbing shoulders with future stars including Marcus Rashford, who is currently out of favour at Old Trafford under Ruben Amorim and may depart during this transfer window, and Scott McTominay, now playing at Napoli. Interestingly, it was Rashford's transition to a forward role that partly led to Smith not making the cut at United, but the former Cambridge United player maintains that the experience was instrumental in shaping his character.

In an interview with the Cambridge Independent in September 2022, Smith recounted his experiences growing up in United's academy. He said: "I grew up in the academy at United. A lot of us lads went to the same school. Marcus Rashford was one of my friends, Axel Tuanzebe was there, Angel Gomes who is now in France, Scott McTominay played with us and so did Dean Henderson. They were all good lads.

"Being around the best young