My Wrexham Story: The Inspirational Autobiography From The Beloved Football Hero

by Paul Mullin

The memoir from Wrexham super striker, Paul Mullin - as seen in Welcome to Wrexham, a Disney+ documentary series by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

In July 2021, shortly after being named League Two's Player of the Season and Golden Boot, Paul Mullin sent shockwaves through the EFL by taking a downwards move to National League team, Wrexham AFC. Since then, 'Super Paul Mullin' has helped transform the Wrexham team, scoring goal after goal, helping secure promotion, and capturing the imaginations of football fans across the world in the process.

Here for the first time, Mullin tells his own his roots in Liverpool, the highs and lows of English football's promotion race, lessons learnt from his young son's Autism diagnosis, and what happens when Hollywood comes knocking at your door.

Genres: Sports, Biography, Football, Nonfiction, Autobiography, Memoir, Soccer

324 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 23, 2023

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of the docuseries “Welcome to Wrexham” so when I found out THE Paul Mullin, Super Paul Mullin, wrote a memoir I was ecstatic! Truthfully, I am not a “football” cough Soccer cough fan. But I am a big fan of sports documentaries which has lead me now to being a sports memoir fan. Mullin seems like a real down to earth dude who loves his parents, siblings, son, and girlfriend. He’s the right amount of cocky to where it’s not annoying to read but you know it comes with the territory of being a professional athlete. His book wasn’t too short or too long and he did a great job of taking us through his life through this last “season” at Wrexham. I really enjoyed listening to him read his story to me and would definitely recommend it to anyone whose 1) a fan of the show 2) a fan of memoirs or 3) anyone whose a fan of football (soccer). I especially recommend the audio version of this book, Mullin has the best accent!

[Matt Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul Mullin knows the audience he's writing for - the Wrexham diehards...both new and old. Mullin calls his first autobiography "My Wrexham Story" for a reason. In this book, Mullin only offers short glimpses into his early life and pre-Wrexham career. Instead of a life story, this is very much focused on giving you his viewpoint on Wrexham AFC's meteoric rise in the public zeitgeist.

Casual fans of "Welcome to Wrexham" and those who have expanded and follow the current season will love getting some fresh details and behind the scenes look at the club, yes, but I would think lifelong Wrexham fans will also enjoy Mullin's tale. Of course they'll love all that as well, but Mullin takes particular care to show how much this club - and the town - mean to him since he's joined; the difference it has made for him and his family and his discovery that he's feeling what Wrexham residents have felt their whole lives. The sense of duty he has to keep their hopes and dreams alive - both for the literal club and what it represents in all their lives.

The hardcover edition might seem a bit thick, but crack it open and the enormous text size is revealed...it's a quick read. If you want to deepen your love for Wrexham AFC, it's a must.

[Kitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

okei, ilmselgelt jalgpallur ei peagi oskama head raamatut kirjutada, aga võiks ju loota, et variautor oskab? samas, töö tellija materjalist... võimalik, et Paul Mullin ei olegi eriti huvitav inimene. põhimõtteliselt on tal meile öelda kolme asja: 1) ta on väga hea jalgpallur, 2) perekond on talle väga oluline, 3) Rob and Ryan are awesome. noh, see viimane point vähemalt on talle teeninud mõlemalt mehelt kiitva blurbi :P

aga kuna kolmest mõttest on raamatu jaoks ikka vähe (isegi kui see raamat räägib sisuliselt ainult kahest aastast Mullini elus - ja need on need aastad, mida me oleme Welcome to Wrexhami seriaali esimeses kahes hooajas juba näinud, ja kes ei ole, see ilmselt ei satu seda raamatut iial lugema), siis on jube palju korrutamist ja nämmutamist. lugemine ei võta just kaua, aga tüütuks muutub ikka.

kaks fakti sain siit ikkagi teada, mis seriaalis ära ei paistnud ja mis olid mu jaoks huvitavad: et Humphrey Keri roll kogu Welcome to Wrexhami projektis oli _veel_ suurem, kui ma arvasin (aa ja muide, tuleb välja, et Humphrey on Etonis õppinud!) ja et juba National League'i aegadel lasti Wrexhami tiimil kaugematele võõrsil-mängudele lennukiga sõita (siin külarahvas muidu on ikka eeldanud, et see on viimatise promotioniga kaasnenud luksus).

[Oli Porter · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️
loved the series and provided a nice insight into his life, some parts were much more enjoyable than others, as some parts just dragged on and the chapters could have been cut in half. honestly did really enjoy though

[Demi Cramb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy this but found the narrative jumping back and forth quite a lot. I also thought there was quite a lot of repetition.

I love Welcome to Wrexham so was great to hear Paul's account. I think he would do great writing a book on autism as the love he has for his song Albie is beautiful.

[Gareth Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a Wrexham fan I enjoyed reading more about Paul Mullin. An interesting enough account of his life so far. Would have been better (from my point of view) if more detail from the last couple of years was included.

[Humair Arshad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice look at Mullins early life and football career especially getting promoted with Wrexham.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having enjoyed 'Welcome to Wrexham' on Disney +, I learnt more about Wrexham AFC than probably any other then non league side and Paul Mullins in particular and this autobiography was good read. Mullin's tell his story without any airs and graces and in down to earth way without all the unobtainable lifestyle of some of the premiership players autobiographies that I have read. It was a true story of a grassroots player who played for the club and the supporters and the community without losing the attitude of family comes first. Even if you are not a footy fan, this a worth the time spent reading.

[Cerys Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up in Wrexham with a family that love football (my uncle even played for Wrexham AFC) I had to read this book! Paul tells his story so amazingly, it’s really like having a chat with a mate. I’ve loved watching Paul in Wrexham games and after reading this book, I feel so much closer to him. I used to attend Your Space weekly groups and progressed to be a volunteer there so seeing him mention the group and talk about his son really brought a tear to my eyes. I couldn’t put this book down, I was hooked from the first page!

[Keith Astbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a Wrexham supporter so I'm clearly biased here.
That said, it's interesting reading this book at this moment - after all the high's that Paul writes about during his time at Wrexham, he's currently going through a bit of an iffy patch.
There's very little about his growing up, but the parts concerning his previous clubs (and what worked and what didn't) are interesting. It goes on a bit towards the end but it's well worth reading if you support Wrexham x

[Aoife · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like many others I’ve watched the Disney Plus documentary about Wrexham and their new Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, in the hopes Blake Lively will appear. (She disappointingly doesn’t)

The show centres around the trials and tribulations of running a football club in the hopes of them being promoted from the National league to league two (They have since been promoted to league one) Like other football documentaries it looks at the games, the emotional journey of the fans and the players. One of the key stories they focused on was Paul Mullins, one of the team’s key strikers. Not only has he been instrumental in getting his team promoted, but he also is the father to his son Albi, who has Autism.

In this book he shares how football was always his number one, he was signed into the Everton academy at the age of seven, but this has changed since having Albi. He’s fully aware that he has the financial advantage of making Albi’s life easier and that he was able to stay in Liverpool and set up roots with his family while commuting to Wrexham each day.

I would have loved to hear more about their day to day struggles and journey with Albi’s autism, but I’m well aware this book was mostly commissioned on the basis of being a player for Wrexham during his monumental takeover and so the content will focus heavily on this.

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I became a fan of Wrexham soon after hearing that Ryan Reynolds had bought in to the team and was going to begin the documentary Welcome to Wrexham. I have watched the games and enjoyed the journey of having Wrexham as my alt-Team (main team is, and will always be, Manchester United).

When Paul Mulling announced this book I had to have it. When I saw he would be narrating the Audible, that became the version to get and that is what this review is about.

Mullin's Memoir is good. He details his upbringing, time at other clubs and time with Wrexham up until their promotion out of the National League to the Second Division. It is a very good story. He also goes in to detail regarding the experience of raising his Autistic son. That part of the book is very interesting and even enlightening.

I give the audio book a solid 4.25 stars. It is interesting, the reading is a little monotone but engaging. If you are a fan of Wrexham, and even football, I would recommend this book and Audio Book.

[Michael Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this. Some parts are interesting and provide insight into life as a professional footballer, especially at the lower levels, and what it is like to be in the English academy system. It is refreshing to hear from a man with such devotion to family, especially his son. But there are also parts where the writer repeats himself, especially the mantra that no one knows what is best but him. Even attempts to sound humble sometimes come across as immaturely arrogant. That attitude does serve professional athletes well to a point. And I am sure he is right about most things he is so sure about, especially the unfair treatment he received from youth coaches. I am quite behind him when it comes to Fuck the Tories and his struggles to get quality treatment for his son. There the book shines as well as information about the time doing the documentary Welcome to Wrexham. However, some chapters could have been half as long and less plodding.

[Ryan Lamping · Rating 5 out of 5]

My wife and I love the series Welcome to Wrexham, it’s a phenomenal story about success of a team in sports. Not just in soccer, but in overall sports.

Not only drawn to Paul Mullin through his play for Wrexham, but finding out about Mullin’s son and his autism drew me to this story.

I myself have a 8 year-old son with non-verbal autism and related so well to much of what Mullin deals with. The autism community is tight-knit, but it can take some time to lean into that. Learning how to parent through autism is hard. Each situation is different and Paul does a great job of telling his story.

LOVED this story. Great for any soccer or Wrexham fan, as well as anyone impacted by autism.

10/10!

[Frederik · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provides an interesting insight into Paul Mullin's life, especially for fans of Wrexham. The narrative jumps back and forth quite a bit, which, along with some repetition, made certain chapters feel like they dragged on. It would have been better if the chapters were more concise and included more detail from the last couple of years from a footballing side instead of the family point of view. I didn't look into the release date of the book, so I was a bit dissappointed that it didn't include the season leading to promotion to League One. However, that hasn't affected the rating of the book as it was my own fault for not looking into it beforehand.

[Ben Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very rarely does a football autobiography give you the impression that the player is down to earth. That couldn’t be less true here. With every story Paul tells, you get the genuine feeling he’s amazed anyone would want to read about his life. That’s what makes this so difficult to put down.

It’s truly heart-warming the way he talks about his son Albi too, the chapter dedicated to him really takes you on an emotional journey.

Well worth a read, Super Mullin has scored a blinder with this book (sorry, couldn’t help myself 😂)

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of the show Welcome to Wrexham I wasn't sure what to expect from this book.

Paul's book is in keeping with the TV series and more about the people than the football. This is what makes the book more.

The insights of being a footballer and how difficult it is to do professionally is interesting too. Let's face it, we all wanted to be footballers when we were kids, Paul is living it.

The book is an easy read and enjoyable, and will be recommended.

[Dylan Faye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this autobiography. Realistically, I have absolutely no interest in football but I find Mullin to be fascinating. I would have loved more insight into his life outside of family and football - he's obviously an intelligent man and forensic in everything he does. Football fans will love his in depth analysis of the games; as a non-football fan I wanted more about him as a person.

[Tyler Hayft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book and a really interesting read about the journey from the wilderness of soccer to the front page of GQ. Inspiring story about pushing through adversity and reaching the pinnacle of professional soccer. Through it all, Paul Mullin keeps the demeanor of a humble man from humble beginnings and a great inspiration for fathers and men alike.

[Todd Butterworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this as American can sometimes be confusing because his phrasing is different, but it was a really enjoyable read. Obviously I watch Welcome to Wrexham, so when I saw this book I chuckled and said, yeah, I’ll read that. He goes into depth about his journey and his focus on his family (which is how he makes decisions, good for him!). Fast and interesting read, give it a go!

[Ray Smillie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't seen even one second of the series about Wrexham but have been following the exploits of both the team and Paul Mullin, with interest. Love Paul's hatred of the Tories and his lack of tolerance with football fans who are ar$eholes. Also loved reading about Albi, especially his way of "telling" visitors they have overstayed their welcome. Wrexham and Paul Mullin are made for each other.

[Martyn Coppack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whilst being ever so slightly biased towards the man who put us on the path to promotion and helped take us out of the National League after 15 years, this a from the heart story which shows that he is not just super on the pitch, but also a super bloke all round.

[Gerard Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and an interesting tale -especially for those who have watched the Disney+ documentary Welcome to Wrexham.
A story of persistence and personal success and the importance of family life.

A good read for sports fans

[Randy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written story of Paul's football and personal life. He is equal measure fantastic footballer and human being. His story of his son, Albi really hit close to home. A fascinating read for anyone, especially Wrexham and football fans, alike.

[Lowri Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic book!!

Yes i’m a big Wrexham fan and Yes Paul Mullin is my favourite football player there!

Paul talks alot about his son Albi who has autism. Autism is close to my heart as i’m a support worker who looks after individuals who have autism.

Well worth the read!🫶🏻❤️

[James Freeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A regular guy that's super easy to root for. Family first mentality. I hope the next book is about the ride to the premier League.

"We've got Mullin, Super Paul Mullin,
I don't quite think you understand.
He plays in red and white,
He's f*cking dynamite,
We've got super Paul Mullin!"

[Simone Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Autobiographies aren't my favourite genre to read; however this one was very fun and light. Having watched the 'Welcome to Wrexham' series and follow football at all levels in the UK, the book provided some great insights.

[Timchristopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book I have read this year. Thankyou Paul for all the great memories at Cambridge Utd. So happy that your closer to home.

[Spencer Preece · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some chapters dragged a bit but a very good book

[Colin A · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5. It was an ok read. As expected I guess, and good to get the full story of a local lad who’s done good.