28 July 2023 , 09:40
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Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds has messaged Nathan Bishop to show his appreciation for the Manchester United goalkeeper’s response to his challenge which left Paul Mullin with a punctured lung.
Mullin left the field in an oxygen mask after the collision with Man Utd's young shot-stopper during this week’s friendly in San Diego. A stretcher was brought on in the light of the early incident, with the game paused for seven minutes, though Mullin was able to walk off.
Striker Mullin, who has bagged a remarkable 79 goals across two seasons with Wrexham, was taken to hospital after the game. He was diagnosed as having a punctured lung, prompting a furious post-match interview from boss Phil Parkinson who slammed Bishop’s role.
“I mean, listen, Mulls has got a small puncture in his lung, he’s in hospital at the moment," Parkinson said after the game. “But it’s a clumsy challenge from the goalkeeper and, for me, there’s no need to make it.
"It’s a straight red. The reason it’s a straight red, and even if the ref said to me that maybe there’s a covering defender, it’s a dangerous challenge.
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“If you add those two situations up, he should’ve been off the pitch. Listen, it’s a massive blow for us to lose Paul. He’s an outstanding player.”
Mullin and Bishop were involved in an accidental clash during the pre-season friendly in the US (Getty Images) Have Your Say! What did you make of the challenge on Mullin? Tell us what you think here.
Wrexham's goalkeeper Ben Foster – a former United player – went into the Red Devils dressing room after the game to console Bishop. Foster was full of kind words for his counterpart as he said: “I feel so bad for Nathan, he’s absolutely heartbroken. I passed Paul’s number onto Nathan so he can get in touch with him. He’s absolutely gutted, I feel for the lad.”
Mirror Football understands that Wrexham co-owner Reynolds has since been in touch with Bishop to express his gratitude to how he responded to the issue. The outcome of the challenge clearly had an impact on the goalkeeper and his desire to seek out Mullin personally to apologise did not go unnoticed.
Reynolds wished Bishop the best of luck for the future and told him not to worry about the incident. At the Snapdragon stadium, where Reynolds wasn't in attendance, a United staff member had - as first reported by the Manchester Evening News - joked, "just wait for the Disney footage," in reference to the Welcome to Wrexham documentary.
Wrexham begin their League Two campaign against MK Dons next weekend as they attempt to go from the National League to League One in two seasons - a feat rarely achieved. Mullin's injury though may force the wealthy outfit into the transfer market as they seek more firepower.
“It’s a dangerous challenge and obviously Paul Mullin is our talisman,” added the Wrexham manager. “The way the lads responded after that I thought was outstanding. That’s what we’re all about as a group – resilience, sticking together. And that’s what we showed. We’ve only just come off the pitch. We’ll assess things tonight, find out the extent of the injury and then make decisions accordingly. We’ve got options but we can’t hide away from it. Mulls is an outstanding player."