Wrexham striker Paul Mullin has opened up in The Athletic on the horror injury he suffered in pre-season against Manchester United.
The Dragons were enjoying a piece of history as they clashed with Premier League side Manchester United in their pre-season tour of America. However, the occasion was soured for the Welsh side, with Paul Mullin coming off injured following a collision with United goalkeeper Nathan Bishop.
The collision caused concern among the 34,000 in attendance at the Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego. Bishop was substituted at half-time and was booed by the crowd every time he touched the ball in the remainder of the game he took part in. Wrexham went on to win the game 3-1 and lift the Snapdragon Cup, but the celebrations were soured by concern for their star striker, who was receiving oxygen as he was taken off the pitch and rushed to hospital.
“I was trying to breathe in but nothing was happening. I couldn’t get air into my lungs. That’s when I knew it was bad. In that struggle for breath, with my lips turning blue, I accepted that this could be it for me. That’s how it felt. I couldn’t breathe properly for a few minutes.”
Mullin would be told he had punctured his lung following the reckless challenge, and he revealed that he had also fractured four ribs. As Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney returned to the UK for the club’s opening day fixture against MK Dons, Mullin would have to remain in Los Angeles until he was fit to return himself. And Mullin explained his heartbreak missing the return to the EFL, a day the club had waited 15 years for and one they might not have been experiencing without his goalscoring prowess.
“To miss out on that game, the one we spent the past two years dreaming of, our first one back in the EFL, was difficult.”
The Welsh club’s start to the season has not been the return to the EFL that they had hoped for. Their opening-day fixture showed they are capable of scoring goals without Mullin, but they tasted defeat at the hands of MK Dons in an eight-goal thriller, the Dons coming out 5-3 winners. Their EFL cup clash with League One Wigan Athletic saw them win on penalties, but a draw to Wimbledon left them waiting another game for their first league win, which they secured against Walsall.
Writer’s View
Mullin’s injury caused a lot of concern in the footballing world. The news of his recovery since has been nothing but positive, with the forward having now returned to the UK and his timeline seemingly having stepped up. Phil Parkinson and Wrexham seem to have missed him so far with their struggles in the league, and hopefully, his return will see him playing at the same ability he was before his injury.
