I made 110 appearances for Man Utd but I got more joy out of playing for Wrexham and earning £14
IT IS the A-list showdown they are calling the League One Clasico — an all-star clash between big spenders with even bigger dreams.
A pair of Hollywood giants in Wrexham red against the seven-time Super Bowl champion and NFL legend bedecked in Birmingham blue.
Tonight’s third-tier meeting with top-tier interest across America — never mind North Wales and the Midlands — between sides whose recent fight was for survival, not silverware.
That was before the silver screen duo of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney rode into Wrexham like the 7th Cavalry — and suddenly the road to oblivion became a path to the Premier League.
And then gridiron great Tom Brady became a minority owner in the Brum takeover, as last season’s Championship drop-outs began their own money-no-object march to the top.
It has been an astonishing transformation for both clubs and Mickey Thomas, a Red Dragons hero from the days they bloodied noses as cup giantkillers, is loving it.
The former winger is known to many for the free-kick which helped dump top-flight champs Arsenal from the FA Cup in 1992.
Yet before that stunning swansong, there were many more in his first spell at Wrexham.
Not least his double in a League Cup triumph at Spurs and a fairytale run to the last eight of the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1976, before he headed for the big time at Manchester United.
And Thomas, 70, was not the only one to move on.
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Boyhood pal Joey Jones, a double European Cup winner at Liverpool, is the best known.
But plenty more headed to brighter lights. Back then, pre-season tours were to the Isle of Man, not the USA, and the current average weekly wage of £4,000 was more than Thomas earned a year, before his 1978 United move.
That League Cup win over a Spurs side containing Glenn Hoddle was worth £14, plus a crowd bonus of £80.
Even at today’s valuation of £620, it is hardly life-changing.
But while the rewards for Wrexham’s current unbeaten table-toppers are jaw-dropping, there is no jealousy from Thomas — only delight at progress he hopes will continue.
The Welshman said: “I don’t begrudge current players a thing, believe me.
“I’m just so happy to see things change for the better.
“You’ve got to realise it wasn’t about the money for me.
“The dream was to be a player. It was about winning, not wages.
“I turned down Tottenham, Aston Villa, Newcastle and Sunderland — all in the top division — because I wanted to play every week. But United were just too big to say ‘No’ to!
Now I’m a fan and no one will be happier than me if the current Wrexham team ends up as their greatest ever
Mickey Thomas
“But to be honest, although I played 110 games for them, I always felt intimidated as the pressure was awful.
“There was no mental health awareness like now and I really struggled to handle it.
“That said, of course, there were some really great times as well. But I had more joy at Wrexham than anywhere.
“Coming through the ranks with Joey, getting my chance off the manager John Neal, the cup runs, the wins, the laughs…
“And although the goal against Arsenal at the end of my career is always mentioned, the best one I ever scored was when we won at Spurs.
“I got two in that game that night and one was a half-volley which flew past Pat Jennings and into the top corner.
“And when we went down the tunnel at half-time, Big Pat was waiting for me and I’m thinking, ‘Aye aye, what’s going on?’
“He had huge hands and he put out his right one to shake mine and said, ‘I’d never heard of you but I think I’ll do so a lot in the future — that was a great goal, well done’.
“I had nine great years at Wrexham but my time has gone.
“Now I’m a fan and no one will be happier than me if the current team ends up as their greatest ever.”