Why Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson lost faith in striker Paul Mullin is a mystery to fans, and to Mullin himself.
Paul Mullin was Wrexham’s main man for three seasons before the 2024/25 season saw him fall painfully out of favour at the Racecourse, playing just once between January and the end of the season.
Phil Parkinson didn’t give away too much about the situation. Though Parkinson said that Mullin was out of favour at Wrexham in what was a simple enough explanation, following the January arrivals of Jay Rodriguez and Sam Smith.
In the end, Mullin played 26 times in League One last season, scoring three. He had his injury troubles and there were dips in form, but to go from star striker to complete outcast in such a short space of time suggested something was off behind the scenes.
Eventually, Wrexham club record signing Smith fired the club to a 2nd place finish in League One, banking a third-straight promotion for Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s side.
Paul Mullin doesn’t know why Phil Parkinson dropped him at Wrexham
Mullin is among the Wrexham players out of contract in 2026 and all signs are pointing towards him being sold by the Dragons this summer. Already, Wrexham are being linked with several strikers including Cardiff City’s Callum Robinson, and Leeds United duo Patrick Bamford and Joe Gelhardt.
But speaking in the latest episode of Welcome to Wrexham, the 30-year-old Mullin spoke about his difficulties in the 2024/25 season, stating that he doesn’t know why Parkinson lost faith in him and hinting at certain trust issues between the two. Mullin explained: “I don’t know, it’s been difficult, I don’t know what’s caused him to trust me less but he clearly does. Obviously he wants the best for the team.”
Already this summer, Wigan Athletic have been linked with Mullin although that potential move has since been played down. It’s understood that Mullin wants to remain in the north-west.
Was there a bust up between Phil Parkinson and Paul Mullin at Wrexham?
Throughout the second half of the season, there were murmurings amongst fans that there was a bust up between Mullin and Parkinson at Wrexham. And that speculation quickly grew, to the point that Mullin had to weigh in.
Mullin said rumours of a Wrexham bust up were nonsense in a simple, one-word social media post. His latest comments don’t exactly hint at a bust up, but they do suggest an air of unease on Mullin’s behalf at least.
His comments tell us that Parkinson never really gave Mullin a reason for his exile and that kind of treatment of a club legend is quite worrying.
But everything at the club continues to move in the right direction. Parkinson is a legend and so too is Mullin. As the club’s rise continues, though, certain players will inevitably be left behind.