Wrexham AFC star speaks about working with American Crew

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As self-proclaimed “bloke’s bloke,” Wrexham AFC striker Ollie Palmer likes to keep it simple. In a quick video chat with Rolling stone From the team bus, Palmer discussed his scaled-back routine for preparing for match day and how Wrexham’s newest partner, American Crew, makes it easy to keep the team looking their best.

Wrexham AFC have just completed a series of friendlies in the US and Canada, including matches against Premier League and MLS teams in Santa Barbara, San Francisco and Vancouver, cleverly dubbed the Wrex Coast tour. A team not playing in the Premier League would rarely get the attention and sponsorship that Wrexham AFC have received, particularly in the US. But Palmer and his Wrexham team-mates were catapulted to fame by the Hulu/FX documentary series Welcome to Wrexham.

Premiering in 2022, the show chronicles the historic but long-suffering Welsh football club’s attempts to gain promotion from the National League, whose efforts were given a boost after the team was bought by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. After (spoiler alert) failing to gain promotion in its first season, Wrexham AFC went on to achieve two successive promotions, first out of the National League to EFL League Two and then to EFL League One, two levels below the Premier League. The team’s relationship with Ryan Reynolds even led to cameos from Ollie Palmer and Paul Mullin in the new Deadpool and Wolverine movie.

Palmer, signed in 2022, has been a key factor in Wrexham’s continued success and has scored 39 goals with the team to date. At 1.96m, he is an intimidating presence on the pitch but a amiable one off it. He is quick to heap praise on his team-mates, the town of Wrexham and “Rob and Ryan” – as they are seemingly known by everyone in Wales.

Palmer has played for many teams, including AFC Wimbledon and Mansfield Town. But as he has done in other interviews, he has reiterated his desire to finish his career at Wrexham. Part of that clearly comes down to the camaraderie between the players, even off the pitch. “When we travel with the team, we play a round of golf which brings everyone together. The atmosphere is good, it’s something we like to do on away trips and here in America.”

Wrexham have secured major sponsorships from United Airlines, HP, SToK, Vistaprint and others, with American Crew becoming the latest to partner with the team. The grooming brand has partnered with three of the team’s star players, Ollie Palmer, Jordan Davies and Paul Mullin, ahead of their successful tour of the United States.

Wrexham AFC produced an impressive performance in their friendlies in North America, drawing with Premier League sides Chelsea and Bournemouth and comfortably defeating MLS outfit Whitecaps FC in Ryan Reynolds’ hometown of Vancouver. Venues included the campus of UC Santa Barbara and Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco. Wrexham’s women’s team competed in friendlies on the campus of UCLA and in Portland, Oregon.

The team’s next season begins on August 10, when Wrexham will undoubtedly bid for promotion to the Championship League again. The team’s meteoric rise up the English football ladder would terrify anyone, but Palmer has stuck to the simple routine that has worked for him. If he has the kind of superstitions that athletes are known for, there’s no evidence of it. “I’ve been doing the same thing for 12 years now, basically when I wake up I have porridge and get ready.”

Palmer keeps his grooming routine simple, too. Keeping his miraculously coiffed locks in place on the court is an enviably simple process for Palmer, who says it takes “eight seconds” to get done. He adds, “That’s probably a compliment to the product, to be honest.” Check out the American Crew grooming products Ollie Palmer uses below. Welcome to Wrexham is streaming on Hulu and Variety confirmed that a fourth season is coming.