‘I love his character’: Wrexham sign All Whites star Liberato Cacace ahead of Wellington game

Saturday, 19 July 2025

Wrexham confirm Liberato Cacace signing ahead of Wellington game.

Wrexham play Wellington Phoenix at Sky Stadium at 5pm on Saturday.

Crowd of 25,000 expected for pre-season friendly.

Welcome to Wrexham, Liberato Cacace.

The Hollywood-backed Welsh club, co-owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, have announced their arrival in Wellington by signing the New Zealand capital’s biggest football star.

In a deal straight out of a Disney+ series, Wrexham confirmed the signing of the All Whites left back on a three-year on the morning of their match against Cacace’s hometown club, Wellington Phoenix, at Sky Stadium on Saturday.

News broke in Italy on Thursday that global sensation Wrexham would be breaking their transfer record to sign the Wellington-born former Phoenix product from Empoli in a deal worth $4.7 million.

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson made no secret of their interest in the 24-year-old Kiwi while speaking to reporters ahead of the final match of their pre-season tour Down Under, against the Phoenix.

He said he would celebrate the signing with a glass of wine at Cacace’s family’s Italian restaurant La Bella once the deal was finalised, and was true to his promise.

Now a global brand thanks to their hit Disney docuseries Welcome to Wrexham, Wrexham have been on the hunt for new players to strengthen their squad ahead of their first season back in the Championship for 43 years.

The Red Dragons have secured three straight promotions since Reynolds and Mac took over to shoot from the fifth tier to the second, and they have the Premier League in their sights.

After three and a half seasons in Italy’s Serie A, Cacace certainly fits the bill as a major signing and the powerful dribbler should be well suited to Parkinson’s preferred 3-5-2 formation.

Cacace will compete with captain James McClean for a start at left wingback.

Cacace is the third new signing Wrexham have made since winning promotion from League One last season, joining former Leicester City goalkeeper Danny Ward and Plymouth Argyle forward Ryan Hardie.

“I’m absolutely delighted to sign for this historic club, and I just can’t wait to get started,” Cacace said.

“Looking from the outside, what they are creating here is something I want to be part of. The family they have here. It’s a tight-knit club and that enticed me.

“I had a great phone call with the manager, and after that I really wanted to sign.”

After bursting onto the scene with the Phoenix as a schoolboy, Cacace left the A-League for Europe in 2020, initially signing with Belgian Pro League club Sint-Truiden before securing a dream move to Serie A.

Since then, he has developed into a key figure for the All Whites, helping his nation qualify for next year’s FIFA World Cup and captaining the team on several occasions.

Cacace had another year to run on his contract with Empoli but has decided to pursue a new challenge after they were relegated to Serie B. He made 93 appearances for Empoli.

The stars aligned for Wrexham to make Cacace’s signing official while in Wellington.

However, as he’s currently in Europe it appears extremely unlikely that he will make a surprise appearance at Sky Stadium on Saturday.

“I’ve spoken to Libby and I love his character and his personality. If we can get the signing completed he’s a player who will fit in with the culture we’ve created at Wrexham,” Parkinson told reporters in Wellington on Friday.

“What a coincidence that we’re in Wellington and that his family have a restaurant here. We’ll see how the deal progresses but it’d be nice to go down and have a glass of wine with his dad today and introduce myself.

“It’s important with the division we’re going into, we’re looking at all markets for players and it was a position we were looking at the profile of the player; someone who is young and hungry and wants to improve and be part of this incredible journey we’re on as a football club.”

Wrexham welcomed with haka and a visit from an All Black

Wrexham touched down in Wellington on Wednesday but there has been little time for sightseeing ahead of their game against the Phoenix.

Players were given Friday afternoon off to venture in city but it has otherwise been strictly business, training hard at the New Zealand Campus of Innovation and Sport in Trentham in preparation for their much-anticipated Championship opener against Southampton on August 9.

They were welcomed by a haka from students from St Patrick’s Silverstream and Hutt International Boys’ High School, while injured All Blacks forward Wallace Sititi paid them a special visit before training.

Wrexham defender Max Cleworth has been with the club since they were in the National League and said he never would have dreamed of being in the position they are now, on a pre-season trip to New Zealand and Australia with promotion to the Premier League in their sights.

“To see the two schools do the haka was an eye opener and something I won’t forget. It’s been a great welcome but obviously we’re here to play the match and work hard and we’ve been training hard and we’re all really looking forward to tomorrow night,” Cleworth said.

On their meet and greet with Sititi, one of the country’s biggest rugby stars, Cleworth said: “I can’t say I’m the biggest rugby fan in the world but obviously a few of the other lads know [who he is].

“I think he’s the same age as me but I certainly wouldn’t like to have a 50-50 with him, I think I’d come out the wrong end of that.”

Wrexham are determined to finish their pre-season tour on a high after suffering a surprise 2-1 defeat to a youthful Sydney FC team on Tuesday.

The Phoenix team they meet on Saturday could be even younger with only 12 first team players available for selection due to the timing of the fixture.

The Phoenix reported back for pre-season less than three weeks ago, are missing a handful of key players due to injury, and are still three or four signings away from completing their roster.

But the strength of the Phoenix team hasn’t deterred people buying tickets. Far from it in fact.

Organisers are expecting a bumper crowd of more than 25,000, which really highlights the popularity of Wrexham and how big their global brand has become since Reynolds and Mac took over in 2021.

Parkinson didn’t call upon Reynolds and Mac to help woo Cacace, amid strong interest from other clubs in Italy.

However, he said the All Whites defender can expect an official welcome from his famous co-owners now the deal is finalised.

One of the perks of being a Wrexham player.