Despite all the success, promotions and unexpected fame, down-to-earth Paul Mullin wants to remind everyone what got Wrexham into League One in the first place.
“Forget the owners and forget me, it’s the fans who have kept Wrexham alive,” he says Sky Sports. “Let’s be honest, this club wouldn’t be here without these people.”
“Every time we step on the pitch we are reminded that we have to give absolutely everything in this game because that affects the fans.”
“We’re getting a lot more fans through the gate now because we’ve raised expectations. But when fans spend their hard-earned money, they want to experience something they enjoy.”
“That’s what we’ve been able to offer them over the last two years. Hopefully it can stay that way for a long time.”
It’s been quite an unexpected journey for 29-year-old Mullin, who has spent most of his career in the EFL.
Mullin was the second division’s top scorer when Cambridge won promotion in 2020/21 and managed Wrexham’s then-surprising relegation to the National League.
What has happened since then, on and off the pitch, is remarkable.
A striker who had spent years playing for Morecambe, Swindon and Tranmere was now one of the stars of the world-famous documentary Welcome to Wrexhamand a friend and near-hero to Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Ryan Reynolds (R) and Rob McElhenney have led the club to successive promotions as owners
“No,” was Mullin’s simple answer when asked if he expected the journey he has had in his three seasons in North Wales.
“But what I expected was success in getting promoted up the leagues. That was my goal when I signed, to move up the ladder.”
“Everything else that went with it was pretty crazy, but also very entertaining.
“You just have to deal with it. I think in years to come I’ll probably look back more than I do now and think about how crazy it all was.”
“But right now, while we’re in the middle of it, it’s just duck’s back water and one thing at a time.”
Mullin is now a sought-after media attraction, particularly in the US, where the Wrexham documentary has captured the imagination and attracted widespread attention. So much so that he has written a book to document his journey with the club.
But he has also used his unusual platform to help others, particularly people with autism. It’s an issue close to Mullin’s heart because of his young son.
Wrexham celebrates promotion from League Two
“It was actually something I had been thinking about for years, even before I got to Wrexham,” he admits. “It would be more about the game, the dressing rooms and the way football works, things like that.”
“But of course thanks to the documentary I had the chance to write the book and I think it was good because it helped people get to know me a little better.”
“Just playing football puts you in the spotlight a little bit and that raises a lot of questions. I shared a lot in it and a lot of emotional things that could help people around the world read it.”
“I always try to deflect the attention I get from myself because that’s just my personality.”
“I’m using the platform that the owners and the documentation have given me to talk about things that could help people.
“Of course no one is the same and I don’t pretend to be a doctor, but talking about my son who has autism and how I dealt with things can really help people.”
“I am very passionate about raising awareness and I will continue to do so because there are a lot of autistic people out there who need a lot of help.”
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Highlights of the Sky Bet League Two game between Crewe Alexandra and Wrexham.
Promotion from the National League last summer led to a trip to Vegas – gifted by Reynolds and McElhenney, of course – and a US tour where they faced the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea.
Once this campaign ends, another extravaganza awaits, but Mullin is also looking forward to a simpler summer.
“Hopefully we can have another party somewhere,” he says. “But I’m just looking forward to spending every day on the beach with my son, running up and down with him for a few hours and enjoying the sun on our backs.”
“It’s his favorite activity and I don’t think it’s stopped raining since January!”
Soon attention will turn to next season and League One. Once again, a big step forward from what they have experienced before.
Mullin last played in the third tier in 2019/20, when he scored just three goals in 20 games for Tranmere. So much has changed since then, including scoring more than 100 goals for Wrexham in three years.
However, he insists that there was no talk of a conversion from back-to-back to back-to-back-to-back.
“It’s far too early for that,” he says with a smile. “Back-to-back wasn’t mentioned until it was achieved. We haven’t even talked about next year yet.”
“It will be incredibly difficult, much more difficult than this year and the year before. But that’s exactly what happens when you move up the leagues.”
“The owners have obviously said their dream is to get into the Premier League, that’s not that realistic for us!”
“We never outdo ourselves. Anything is possible in this group and we will always remain humble and know that hard work will take us to the next level.”
No matter how you play it down, Mullin knows there will be some expectation that they can do it all again. And who would be against them getting another Hollywood ending?