Wrexham's Paul Mullin opens up on book Reynolds and McElhenney called "the best"
Paul Mullin has always wanted to write a book about his life as a footballer in the lower leagues. But the Wrexham goal machine never thought in his wildest dreams that it would provide a Hollywood ending.
Now he is set for a couple of sell-out dates promoting ‘Paul Mullin My Wrexham Story’ described by the club’s tinsel town co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney as ‘the best book I’ve read, this guy is a hero’ and ‘one of the greatest footballers in the world’.
It’s released on November 23rd and is guaranteed to be a best-seller after Mullin, who has joined the likes of Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones and Dixie McNeil as Racecourse Ground legends, plundered 38 goals to help Wrexham end their 15-year EFL exile in May.
His football life changed when he surprised many people by refusing a new contract to stay at Cambridge United where he had broken goal-scoring records, turning his back on opportunities to play in the Championship to sign for National League Wrexham.
Interesting as it might have been to talk about his formative years at Everton and Liverpool's academies and spells at Vauxhall Motors, Morecambe and Tranmere in addition to Cambridge, but it’s an amazing two and a half seasons in North Wales which will help rack up the sales.
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“It’s something I thought I would like to do writing about my career, but I didn’t think it would become as big as it has become,” he explained. “I wanted to speak about the life of a lower league footballer, the times when you are out of the game, getting released, things like that.
“Now I’ve got a sort of a platform to talk about other things. In the book I think I can help many people like parents of autistic children (he has an autistic boy Albi), young lads who have fallen out of the game, to lads who are in the game now showing how things can turn in such a short space of time so never to give up. Writing the book was quite therapeutic at times. It’s emotional, it’s up and down.”
Wrexham owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds (AFP via Getty Images)There’s been more ups than downs since joining the Hollywood-backed club although the biggest down saw Mullin fearful of his life. A pre-season game in San Diego against Manchester United, proof of the impact the Disney + documentary series ‘Welcome To Wrexham’ had made in the USA, was almost the Scouse striker’s last. A collision with United keeper Nathan Bishop left him with four shattered ribs and a punctured lung.
"The keeper had made a hash of coming out for a long clearance and cleaned me out. I couldn’t breathe for a couple of minutes and to be honest, I was fearing the worst," he recalled. "All the medical staff rushed on and saw that my lips had turned blue. I thought 'I'm in trouble here.''
Mullin turned down the chance to recuperate in McElhenney’s Los Angeles residence to remain in San Diego with two mates who had made the trip to California.
Thankfully fully recovered it’s back to life under the glare of the film spotlight as ‘Welcome To Wrexham’ gathers up more material and he’s just been nominated as one of fashion and style magazine GQ’s Man of the Year candidates. Maybe an extra chapter for the paperback edition.
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