Paul Mullin has reflected on the ambition that Rob McElhenney showed when he arrived at Wrexham and the goal that was blown out of the water.
Since the reign of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney began, Wrexham have sailed through the divisions, with head coach Phil Parkinson helping the club to three successive promotions.
Wrexham have gone from a struggling National League side that had EFL football merely as a pipe dream to become an emerging powerhouse in the English game, with the club now just one promotion away from the Premier League.
Despite the difficulty that the Red Dragons had faced before Reynolds and McElhenney taking over, the owners arrived with clear ambitions that were initially laughed at, something that Wrexham legend Paul Mullin has since reflected on.
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Paul Mullin reflects on his ‘unbelievable’ Wrexham journey and the ambitions of Rob McElhenney
Wrexham star Paul Mullin was an integral part of the club’s early success, scoring 38 goals in the promotion-winning 2022/23 National League campaign.
After they emerged from the shadows of non-league football, Wrexham then notched a further two successive promotions, all the way to the Championship.
It turns out that this was one of Rob McElhenney’s key goals as an owner, but Wrexham have actually been able to complete it in a shorter period than he expected, as Mullin reflected on.
Speaking to the club’s YouTube, Mullin said: “Rob McElhenney told me that within five years his plan was to be in the Championship. To manage to do it in four years is something not to be sniffed at. It’s been an unbelievable journey and it’s changed my life.”
Mullin also spoke about when he initially joined the club, to which he said:“When I signed for Wrexham obviously I’d finished as top goalscorer and won player of the season the year before in League Two, with Cambridge getting promotion.
“It was a very big jump to come here, in terms of leaving something that I felt so safe and secure in, but I was coming back mainly to be with family, and what a decision it turned out to be.
“It’s been a phenomenal few years. It’s changed my life in many aspects. The documentary that I didn’t even know was happening until I signed the contract, has meant that you end up with more attention and things like that but that’s all a privilege.
“If somebody, any one person, asks if they can have a photo I can make their day and that’s something that I am extremely proud about because that doesn’t happen to everybody.”
Rob McElhenney has done one thing brilliantly as co-owner
It is safe to say that no one, not even Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney expected Wrexham to reach the Championship so quickly in their tenure, something that can prove to be a blessing, but also a curse for some clubs.
We often see clubs promoted too soon, and because of a lack of financial strength, they often struggle in the division above. However, Wrexham have no need to worry about that being their feat.
Each promotion that has taken place, the owners have responded by continuously backed Phil Parkinson, which has given the club the best possible chance to succeed in the Championship.