‘After Everything’—Wrexham Promotion Hero Slams Club After Forced Exit

The Red Dragons are virtually unrecognisable from their squad just three years ago.

Paul Mullin did not mince words when it comes to his Wrexham exit. | James Baylis/AMA/Getty Images

Wrexham fan favourite Paul Mullin hit out at the club for shipping him out on loan this season after “everything” he’s done, declaring he is “never going to accept” the way the situation was handled.

Mullin, who played crucial roles in the Red Dragons’ first two promotions under the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, saw his 2024–25 campaign marred by injury before his services were ultimately deemed unnecessary last summer; the club signed 13 players, including his replacement Kieffer Moore, ahead of their first Championship campaign in 43 years.

Completely frozen out, Mullin was sent out on loan to Wigan Athletic at the start of the season, but his time with the League One side was cut short this January. The striker made a brief return to Wrexham before he was then sent to Bradford City, a bitter pill to swallow while Phil Parkinson’s new-look squad fights to achieve a historic fourth consecutive promotion.

“It’s something I’ve found quite challenging over the last 18 months. It was sort out of the blue, after everything that I've done and then getting surgery," Mullin said. “It sort of ended from there really, which was difficult to take.

“I’m never going to accept it, what happened, because it’s something that I find quite tough, but that’s football and you move on.”

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Wrexham’s Wholesale Changes a Necessary Evil for the Future

Paul Mullin (left) had a great relationship with co-owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds. | Matthew Ashton/AMA/Getty Images

Mullin is not the only promotion hero to see his time in a red shirt come to an abrupt end. Former captain James McClean, Steven Fletcher and Elliot Lee are just three players to also bid farewell to North Wales in the last year.

Not only were the familiar faces loved by the fans packing the stands at the STōK Cae Ras, but they also gained a global following thanks to the Emmy award-winning docuseries, Welcome to Wrexham. The Red Dragons needed to make some tough decisions last summer and this winter, though, in their fight to play in the Premier League next season.

A squad largely comprised of National League, League Two and League One players was never going to be strong enough to go up against the calibre of competition in the Championship. Wrexham needed to splash some cash to bring in players with experience playing in England’s second-tier—and even some with Premier League appearances—to truly hang with the likes of Coventry City, Middlesborough and Ipswich Town.

Such a wealth of new talent pushed a few beloved faces out the door, but the departures coincided with a new era in North Wales, one that Parkinson hopes will propel his team to the English top flight.

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Mullin Has ‘Nothing to Prove’ at Bradford

Paul Mullin helped Wrexham ascend the English football pyramid. | Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images

Mullin, who scored 110 goals in 172 appearances for Wrexham, believes his résumé speaks for itself as he undergoes a fresh start at Bradford, who sit sixth in the League One standings.

“I’ve got an opportunity now at a massive club to come be successful here and write another chapter in my career,” Mullin said.

“It’s more about myself, I just want to be successful. I want to go and do it again, again and again. So I just want to play games and be successful. I don’t really feel like I’ve got anything to prove.”

The 31-year-old has already made two appearances for his new club, but he has managed zero shots in 93 minutes. A little rust is to be expected, though, considering Mullin did not log consistent minutes at Wigan and was then out of action for over a month to kick start the new year.

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