Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson reveals what he told Paul Mullin in crucial chat before club legend departed Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's side

Despite his legendary status at The Racecourse Ground, scoring an impressive 110 goals across 172 appearances since joining in 2021, Mullin struggled to maintain a regular place in the lineup during the club’s historic 2024-25 Championship promotion campaign. His final league outing came on January 28, when he found the net in a 3-2 defeat against Stevenage. In total, Mullin managed just nine starts in the third tier, a significant dip for a player who had previously been central to Wrexham’s success story.

Mullin’s lack of game time in the most recent season wasn’t without reason. After undergoing spinal surgery last summer to correct a persistent lower back and hamstring issue, he missed the opening weeks of League One. His return coincided with the arrivals of Sam Smith and Jay Rodriguez during the January transfer window, which further reduced his minutes on the pitch.

Parkinson was quick to clarify that Mullin’s move is not a parting of ways, but rather a strategic decision to help the striker regain form.

"Mulls has had a couple of seasons where he has had a disrupted pre-season," said the Reds' boss.

"I sat down with him at the end of last season and said it is up to him if he feels he wants to go and play somewhere else, and get himself back going again, we completely respect that. After the disruption he's had with missing the last pre-season and the pre-season before with his injury, the most important thing for him is to have a good off-season and a good pre-season."

Since he arrived from Cambridge United in 2021, Mullin has been at the heart of Wrexham’s meteoric rise from non-league football to the Championship, helping them secure three consecutive promotions. His tireless work ethic and eye for goal made him a fan favourite and earned him numerous personal accolades.

However, Parkinson acknowledged that moving up the divisions quickly, paired with an injury-hit preparation, was always going to make the transition to Championship football difficult.

"Mullin had a chat with (Wigan boss) Ryan Lowe and he decided he wanted to go somewhere where he knew he was going to play after a year of not playing as much as he wanted, but there were reasons for that," he said.

"When you step-up divisions quickly, and he had that disrupted build-up to last season, it was always going to hinder him a little bit. He has had a good off-season, and now he can have a good pre-season with Wigan. They have got a great signing and Mulls can get himself going again, so it is a good move for him."

Having already established his reputation in North Wales, Mullin now faces the challenge of winning over a new fan base in Greater Manchester. His proven goal-scoring record and experience could provide a significant boost to a side eager to climb back into the Championship.