Paul Mullin’s book, due out on November 23rd, is sure to be a best-seller after the strike added Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, and Dixie McNeil to the list of Racecourse Ground legends.
Paul Mullin has always wanted to write a book about his experiences as a lower-league footballer. But the Wrexham goal machine never imagined that it would provide a Hollywood ending.
Now he’s set for a couple of sell-out shows to promote ‘Paul Mullin My Wrexham Story,’ which has been described as ‘the best book I’ve read, this guy is a hero’ and ‘one of the greatest footballers in the world’ by the club’s tinsel town co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
It’s set to be a best-seller after Mullin, who joins the likes of Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, and Dixie McNeil as Racecourse Ground legends, scored 38 goals to help Wrexham end their 15-year EFL exile in May.
His football life changed when he surprised many by refusing a new contract to stay at Cambridge United, where he had broken goal-scoring records, and instead signed for National League Wrexham, passing up opportunities to play in the Championship.
As interesting as it would have been to discuss his formative years at Everton and Liverpool academies, as well as spells at Vauxhall Motors, Morecambe and Tranmere as well as Cambridge, it’s an incredible two and a half seasons in North Wales that will help rack up the sales.
“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 said. “I wanted to talk about what it’s like to be a lower league footballer, when you’re out of the game, getting released, and things like that.”
Now I have a sort of platform to discuss other topics. In the book, I hope to help many people, such as parents of autistic children (he has an autistic son Albi), young lads who have dropped out of the game, and lads who are back in the game by demonstrating how things can change in such a short period of time, so never give up. At times, writing the book was very therapeutic. It’s emotional and up and down.”
Since joining the Hollywood-backed club, Mullin has had more ups than downs, with the biggest down leaving him terrified for his life. A pre-season game against Manchester United in San Diego, evidence of the impact of the Disney + documentary series ‘Welcome To Wrexham’ in the United States, was almost the Scouse striker’s last. After colliding with United custodian Nathan Bishop, he suffered four shattered ribs and a punctured lung.
“The keeper had rushed out for a long clearance and cleaned me out.” “I couldn’t breathe for a few minutes and, to be honest, I was scared,” he recalled. “Everyone rushed over when they saw my lips had turned blue.” ‘I’m in big trouble here,’ I thought.
Mullin turned down the opportunity to recover in McElhenney’s Los Angeles home in order to stay in San Diego with two friends who had travelled to California.
Thankfully fully recovered, he’s back in the spotlight as ‘Welcome To Wrexham’ gathers more material and he’s just been nominated as one of fashion and style magazine GQ’s Man of the Year candidates. Perhaps an additional chapter for the paperback edition.
