Paul Mullin was a real statement signing for Wrexham back in 2021, but based on the conversation he had with Rob McElhenney, it’s no wonder he was chomping at the bit to join the Red Dragons revolution.
Since Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds took over at Wrexham, it’s been clear that the Hollywood stars will not stop in their quest to take the club to the very top.
Be it big spending in the transfer market, putting the club on the map through their shrewd commercial work, or simply ingratiating themselves in the Wrexham community, the pair have given it their everything so far.
The signing of Paul Mullin ticked all three of those boxes, really, with the star striker becoming a central figure in everything Wrexham have achieved over the last four years.
And, Wrexham fans have McElhenney’s passion and drive to thank for bringing Mullin to the club in the first place.
Paul Mullin could tell Rob McElhenney cared about Wrexham project
Speaking about that fateful conversation he had with the Wrexham owner in his book, Mullin explained how he could very quickly tell that McElhenney meant every word he said and cared very deeply about the work he was doing at the club. So much so, that he’d been brushing up on his Paul Mullin knowledge.
He wrote: “The difference with Rob was that it was obvious he meant it. He wasn’t coming at the project for any reason other than to try to fulfil a dream and, in so doing, change the lives of all kinds of different people.
“To be honest, I hadn’t expected Rob to know all that much about me, and it was only when I watched the documentary that it clicked – ‘Oh, right, he did a lot more research than I thought.’ I listened as he told me how much he’d love to have me at the club, and how ambitious he and Ryan were to take Wrexham forward.”
Turns out that conversation with McElhenney was all Mullin needed to convince him the move to Wrexham was the right decision.
He added: “Rob was so enthusiastic about the whole plan, and I was impressed by what they were trying to do. Beforehand, I’d read a couple of things about how exciting the project was, how much they wanted to make it work; now, having spoken to Rob, I could feel it in his voice, his attitude.
“This wasn’t just two blokes messing about. This was totally for real. When I picked up the phone, I hadn’t decided whether I was going to go to Wrexham or not. When I put the phone down, my mind was made up.”
While rival fans questioned Mullin’s ambition for dropping down to the National League to join Wrexham, his new fans knew he would be a success, as did the man himself. And, as fate would have it, they were absolutely right.
It’s no surprise Paul Mullin became the poster boy for Wrexham
While Wrexham may have outgrown Mullin now as they head into the Championship, back at the time of his signing he was the ideal man to lead the burgeoning project being built in North East Wales.
A striker who had just bagged 32 goals in League Two, and who was willing to drop down two divisions to play for Wrexham was a massive statement at the time.
The way he performed for Wrexham, and the incredible statistics and records Mullin achieved over the course of his time with the club, made him a genuine worldwide superstar and the favourite son of Wrexham’s global following.
He’s a working-class hero who gave his everything to the cause and epitomised what Rob and Ryan have been wanting to achieve with Wrexham. The owners have lofty ambitions for Wrexham, but Mullin has helped push them very close to achieving them already.