Wrexham's celebrity co-owners have turned Southampton's off-field controversy into a piece of pre-match entertainment. Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney starred in a viral video sketch that directly references the Saints' recent spying scandal, which led to their expulsion from last season's play-offs.

The clip, shared widely on social media, is styled as an advertisement for internet privacy. "I'm Ryan Reynolds, also co-chairman of Wrexham AFC," the actor says to camera. "Today, for no particular reason, we want to talk about the importance of privacy." His business partner Rob McElhenney introduces himself similarly before adding the joke is for people in "Oxford, or Ipswich, or Middlesbrough", the three clubs Southampton were found to have spied on.

The Spygate Fallout

The video's humour is rooted in a serious disciplinary breach. Last season, Southampton intern William Salt was caught filming a Middlesbrough training session from near a tree ahead of a Championship play-off semi-final. An EFL investigation uncovered WhatsApp messages where Salt was praised for a previous spying mission on Oxford United. Salt told a disciplinary panel he was acting on instructions from superiors. The club was subsequently thrown out of the play-offs.

Focus on the Football

Russell Martin's side will be keen to let their current form do the talking. Southampton sit ninth in the Championship with 10 points from seven games and are unbeaten in five, with a recent run of WWDDW. They travel to face 19th-placed Wrexham this Saturday, a fixture now loaded with extra narrative thanks to the Hollywood co-chairmen's antics.

The team's attack has been potent, scoring 18 goals already this season. Top scorer Cyle Larin has seven in seven appearances, including a brace in the 4-1 win over Bristol City last time out. With the squad in good form, the focus will be on securing three points at the Racecourse Ground and moving on from the off-field noise. The latest standings show the Saints are just four points off the top of the table.

This story first appeared at Daily Mail Sport