Wrexham: Football star lights up care home for Christmas

Lili, 18, was delighted to officially launch the festive season celebrations at Pendine Park’s Hillbury House care home in Wrexham.

Lili is Wrexham through and through, having been a lifelong supporter of the club. She started playing for them via the Girls’ Performance Centre and made her Wrexham AFC debut aged 16 in September 2021, scoring twice.

She was also recently the focus of a Welcome to Wrexham episode, documenting the lives of the women's side. 

Wrexham AFC player Lili Jones pictured with Santa, Maureen O’Neill, Jessie Rees , Deputy Manager patsy Swift and Joan Oley. (Image: submitted)

The midfielder helped last year’s Wrexham AFC women’s team win promotion to the Genero Adran Premier league.

But she said she was more nervous about turning on the yuletide illuminations than she’d ever been playing before huge crowds at Wrexham’s famous STōK Cae Ras.

She laughed: “I just didn’t want to break anything. I’ve never switched on Christmas lights before and with all the residents there waiting in anticipation I just didn’t want anything to go wrong.

“It was great to see all the residents’ faces light up too, smiling and having such a good time.”

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Thanking Lili for being their star guest on the night, Hillbury House manager Cindy Clutton, said everyone at the home has followed the incredible story of how the club was bought by Hollywood TV and movie legends Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds.

Cindy added: “We’re all so proud of what has been achieved at Wrexham recently. We’ve especially followed the fortunes of the women’s team as our maintenance operative here at Hillbury, Dave Williams, is a Wrexham AFC women’s goalkeeping coach.”

She said it was thanks to Dave that they were able to contact the club and invite Lili to switch on the lights.