Wrexham said goodbye to Paul Mullin on Monday as the striker completed a loan move to League One side Wigan Athletic.
Summer transfer windows bring exciting new signings for Wrexham, but also some difficult departures.
Rob McElhenney has branded Wrexham departures ‘tragic’ as he hates to see hard-working players move on as the club progresses.
McElhenney believes players ultimately work themselves out of a job at Wrexham, with promotions bringing a new raft of signings to keep the progress going.
Will Boyle has signed for Shrewsbury Town, but the big departure of last week saw Paul Mullin finalise a move to Wigan Athletic.
Ryan Reynolds said an emotional goodbye to Mullin as the striker completed a season-long loan move to Wigan.
Paul Mullin urges Wrexham to be ‘really careful’
Mullin’s exit hurts for Wrexham fans, but probably hasn’t come as a surprise to many supporters.
Wrexham clinched promotion to the Championship, but Mullin was not selected for a single league game after the closure of the January transfer window.
Mullin fell down Wrexham’s pecking order and wasn’t even selected for the bench, as Phil Parkinson moved the side in a different direction.
Mullin’s impact at Wrexham will never be forgotten, having racked up 110 goals during his four-year stay at the STōK Cae Ras.
The striker has now spoken to Stillryan and discussed the community feel around Wrexham.
Mullin noted that Wrexham must be ‘really careful’ not to lose the close-knit dynamic at the STōK Cae Ras, believing that the club must avoid becoming too commercialised.
Mullin believes the connection with the fans and the local area is what makes the Wrexham rise ‘special’ and that cannot be lost moving forward.
Wrexham have grown massively since Mullin first arrived, and the striker noted that he used to know every staff member at the club, but that is no longer the case as more and more staff are hired.
Mullin added that the moment Wrexham lose a ‘closeness’ with fans is the moment everything changes around the club, urging Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds to keep the fans at heart.
“I think they… we need to be really careful, because the club’s going so far that way,” said Mullin, motioning an upwards diagonal line.
“Everton and Liverpool, they’re very commercialised now as teams, we need to make sure that Wrexham doesn’t end up that way because that’s what makes this club special.
“Obviously, as you go up the levels, it’s only natural that things change, but when I signed, I used to know every member of staff, but now we’ve got so many staff, it’s impossible.
“I used to know all the people who used to work in the shop, I used to know all the people who were in the kitchens, who were in the commercial room, and now there’s so many people.
“There’s many things we need to keep, and it’s like… even on a matchday, we park in the university next door, but we have a big long walkway into the stadium, we need to make sure that that stays in, because it’s time to interact with the fans.
“I hope, as we do carry on climbing as a club, that they don’t lose the closeness we’ve got with the community, because that’s what makes this club special, this is what’s made us what we are at the moment, and the moment that goes would be the moment everything changes, I’d say,” he added.
Ryan Reynolds has admitted fear over Wrexham rise
Mullin’s comments will ring true for many fans, who won’t want to lose the essence of Wrexham’s rise.
Reynolds at least appears to be on a similar page, having admitted his fear surrounding the club growing too quickly.
Reynolds admitted his Wrexham concern just a few days ago, as while he loves the progress being made, he doesn’t want to lose what makes the club so special.
“Thinking back to that first press conference there and saying, our objective is to make it to the Premier League. And you know, everybody tittering and laughing a little, and that’s okay. I’m not judging them for that,” said Reynolds.
“But then now it’s starting to look very, very real. I am feeling elation but also panic. Growing is great but growing too fast is a frightening proposition,” he added.
Reynolds’ comments will encapsulate matters on and off the pitch, with the ‘Deadpool’ star no doubt aware of the feeling Wrexham must maintain alongside major success.
Mullin’s comments came before his move to Wigan was finalised, but you can be sure that he will be watching Wrexham from afar.
Mullin has been the goalscoring catalyst behind Wrexham’s rise and will hold the feeling around the club as close to his heart as the goals he has scored in this incredible journey.