Cacace has seen the Wrexham documentary - now he has the shirt

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Liberato Cacace poses in a Wrexham shirt alongside the club logoImage source, Wrexham AFC

Aled Williams

BBC Sport Wales

Liberato Cacace has watched every episode of 'Welcome to Wrexham' – now he himself will feature in the Disney+ documentary.

The left-back is among Wrexham's summer signings, joining from Empoli on a three-year deal as the club pepare for life in the Championship.

Some might raise eyebrows at a player swapping Italy – even though he is leaving a club relegated from Serie A – to play in England's second tier.

But for 24-year-old Cacace the move is about fulfilling an ambition and not because of what he has seen over four seasons of the documentary charting the rise of the club under the ownership of Hollywood owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Renolds.

"It's a great doco, and I've watched all the seasons," Cacace told BBC Sport Wales.

"There was interest in Italy, but for me, I'm a big football fan as well.

"I watch a lot of football and I've always watched English football, from the Premier League to the Championship as well so I know the level I'm heading into.

"It was always a big dream of mine to play in the UK.

"Obviously Wrexham having so much publicity in the media as well you could see what the club was like.

"It's a very exciting project and I'm also very excited to start the season as well."

Liberato Cacace in action during a game for EmpoliImage source, Getty Images

Image caption,

Liberato Cacace played 93 games for Empoli after joining in 2022 from Belgian side Sint-Truidense

Cacace had a year left on his contract at Empoli but Wrexham are believed to have paid a significant fee for the New Zealand international.

Whilst Cacace was in north Wales completing the deal, his new team-mates were over in his home city of Wellington on the final leg of their pre-season tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Manager Phil Parkinson and club staff visited the restaurant of Cacace's Italian father and met with the family.

"Yeah, it was a crazy circumstance, a weird coincidence that they were over in my home country and I was here in Wrexham for the first few days," said the defender.

"But it was a great touch from the staff and from the manager, to go over and say hello to Mum and Dad.

"I think it was a really good touch from them."

Cacace started for Wrexham in a friendly loss at FC Groningen last Saturday, the second of back-to-back games Parkinson's side played against the Dutch team.

Libby, as he is called by his team-mates, has enjoyed his first few weeks at the Stok Cae Ras and is looking forward to the Championship opener at Southampton on Saturday, 9 August.

"I've already had chats with the players and with the manager and I think I'm settling in pretty well," Cacace added.

"I'm a professional person as well so I always like to keep fit.

"I'm going to use every day to make sure that when the ninth comes against Southampton I'll be ready to go."

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