Wrexham hero was penniless until Gary Speed’s incredible act of kindness

Mickey Thomas, who played for Manchester United and Chelsea, was left in a significant amount of debt after blowing an estimated £500,000 on gambling

A Wrexham legend once found himself struggling with debt until Gary Speed came to his aid. Former Welsh winger Mickey Thomas graced some of football’s biggest stages during his prime, turning out for Manchester United and Chelsea alongside two stints with the North Wales club.

But he plunged into serious financial trouble after squandering an estimated £500,000 through gambling. Thomas, who was raised in Mochdre, North Wales, previously revealed how he battled a severe gambling addiction that began after departing Wrexham for United in 1978.

He confessed he had “lost a fortune” due to his compulsion, which persisted long after hanging up his boots in the mid-1990s.

In his autobiography, published in 2008, he reflected on his addiction, saying: “Most of the time it’s boredom. More often than not it’s a release of pressure. In extreme gambling cases like mine you always think you are in control – you never are.

“I’ve lost a fortune over the years. Maybe it’s £250,000. Maybe it’s more like £500,000. Thinking back, that’s probably nearer the mark and I’m not proud to admit that. It was easy money. Easy to blow £10,000 on a spin of a roulette ball or the flick of a card.

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“It’s an addiction which grabbed me at United but it’s one that has grabbed me more in my later years when I retired.”

Fortunately, the Red Dragons legend, who netted a memorable free-kick that helped Wrexham eliminate Arsenal from the FA Cup in 1992, managed to rebuild his life afterwards. Thomas, who represented Wales 51 times throughout his playing days, revealed it was partly down to his former Leeds colleague Speed’s kindness that enabled him to begin settling the substantial debts he had accumulated.

Reflecting several years following the ex-Wales boss’s passing in 2011, he said: “He was such a great bloke. After I hit hard times financially later in life, if he saw me he would always ask if I was all right for money. One day, I went to his house when he was with Newcastle United and he asked me if I wanted any boots.

“It was up to me what I did with them, maybe sell them to make a few quid to ease the debts. I ended up coming out of his garage with around 30 pairs. That’s how generous he was. I will never forget his kindness.”

Thomas subsequently faced another ordeal following his cancer diagnosis in February 2019 when medics discovered a substantial tumour in his oesophagus. The growth was surgically removed in May that year, though he initially found the follow-up chemotherapy treatment challenging.

He revealed he had received the cancer all-clear in November 2021 and has since campaigned to raise money for the department at Wrexham Maelor Hospital where NHS medics carried out life-saving treatment on him. The 71-year-old remains a familiar face at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground where supporters continue to adore him.

Wrexham’s Hollywood owners, Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, also honoured Thomas after the club’s promotion from League One in April this year. The pair invited him to their box to witness Wrexham secure their third consecutive promotion in style with a resounding 3-0 victory over Charlton Athletic.

Post-match, Deadpool actor Reynolds shared his ambitions for the club: “Our goal is to make it to the Premier League. It just seemed like an impossible dream, but as storytellers, you look as much as you can at the macro view of history.

“Without it I would not be here. You can go all the way back from the Gresford Disaster to Mickey Thomas, who is a huge point of aspiration for this club. And the goal was to reach that feeling – and it is a feeling.”

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