Paul Mullin may never play for Wrexham again, but his impact on the club will never be forgotten despite his exit last week.
Wrexham continue to move up through the leagues, and that brings some difficult decisions in every transfer window.
This summer has brought the decision nobody wanted, but most saw coming.
Paul Mullin has departed Wrexham after four brilliant seasons at the STōK Cae Ras, in which he became a hero for life with his goalscoring feats.
Mullin has joined Wigan Athletic on loan for the season, heading to the League One side in search of first-team opportunities.
Mullin’s playing time became non-existent in the second half of last season, and while this exit is only a loan move for now, a permanent exit in 2026 looks likely.
Paul Mullin on joining Ryan Reynolds in ‘Deadpool’ film
Wrexham fans will have their favourite memories of Mullin from over the years, but one may not even involve him playing.
Mullin famously featured as ‘Welshpool’ in the ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ movie, joining Reynolds on the big screen.
As if Mullin wasn’t popular enough already, his role in such a big film only added to the buzz around the striker.
Mullin has previously praised Reynolds for his ‘brilliant’ idea, and has now explained how it came about.
Speaking on Stillryan’s StillTalkingShow, Mullin noted that a common misconception is that the idea emerged because he had been scoring so many goals.
That wasn’t the case, though, as Reynolds actually first pitched the idea on Christmas Day in Mullin’s first season at Wrexham.
Mullin admitted that he didn’t actually think the idea would come to fruition, but has learned that Reynolds and Rob McElhenney keep their promises.
“Everyone thinks it was probably after I’d scored loads of goals, after I’d achieved so much there, and it just wasn’t, that was never the case,” said Mullin.
“I’d been sent off in the first game they’d watched, so the next game I was suspended and they were like ‘come and watch the game’, and we were just chatting normally then, that Christmas of the first year I’d signed there, it was Christmas Day actually.
“I was sat in the pub with my dad and Ryan texted me just talking normal and then he said ‘I’ve got to apologise in advance but I’ve wrote a script for Deadpool, I’d like you to be in it with your own character’, I was like ‘why are you apologising? That’s one of the best things that’s ever happened!’
“I didn’t think it would happen. I’d only known them six months, so at this point, I didn’t know fully what they were like, I knew they were nice people but now I know them as like… if they say they’re going to do something, they’ll do it or they’ll try their best to do it. They’ll stick to any promise they make,” he added.
Paul Mullin on how Deadpool role almost collapsed
Mullin also admitted that his role in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ almost fell through anyway – and it would not have been down to Reynolds.
The Writers Guild of America strike in 2023 meant everything was pushed back to the point where Mullin was back in action for Wrexham when filming started again.
Reynolds feared that Mullin wouldn’t be allowed time off to go and film during the season, but Phil Parkinson gave the green light as Mullin received the chance of a lifetime.
“It very nearly never happened after that as well, which wouldn’t have been his fault,” said Mullin.
“They had the writers’ strike in America and all over the world, so then everyone had to stop writing. They started filming again in the summer, but then our season started back up, and the plan was for us to film it when I was off. Our season started back up, obviously, I’ve been injured in America, I’ve come back and got fit.
“Around December time, he was like ‘we’re going to need to do it soon, but I’m not sure we’re going to be able to get it in because the gaffer might not let you, because you’re in the season’ and things like that.
“I was like ‘don’t worry about the gaffer like that, I’ll tell him I need to do it!’ They rang the gaffer and he said ‘sound’, and he gave me a day off during the week in January to go and film it,” he added.
Mullin took a real gamble by joining Wrexham in 2021, having fired Cambridge United to promotion from League Two.
Dropping two divisions is something not many prolific strikers would do, but Mullin took the plunge with Wrexham.
That decision paid dividends both on and off the pitch, with Mullin’s legacy at Wrexham making him a modern-day legend, and fans will wish him all the best as he begins his Wigan career.