Wrexham star reveals he was left fearing for his LIFE after puncturing his lung in pre-season match

Wrexham star reveals he was left fearing for his LIFE after puncturing his lung in pre-season match

 

Wrexham star reveals he was left fearing for his LIFE after puncturing his lung in pre-season match

The player’s collision with Nathan Bishop forced him off and sent him to hospital
Parkinson added that the club have no timeline for when Mullin will play again

Wrexham’s star striker has revealed he was left fearing for his life after suffering from a punctured lung and four fractured ribs during a pre-season friendly against Manchester United in July.

The 47-goal forward was involved in a horror collision with reserve goalkeeper Nathan Bishop at the Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, and was forced off the pitch and taken straight to hospital.

The 28-year-old recovered from the injury Stateside before returning to Wales last week after the League Two side played their season opener against MK Dons on August 5.

Man United: Sunderland hold talks with Red Devils for goalkeeper Nathan Bishop, as Black Cats reject Burnley's £10m bid for winger Jack Clarke | Daily Mail Online

Wrexham will be loath to be without their striking starlet for the start of their campaign, and have seen out an opening defeat and a gritty draw without Mullin leading the line.

But in a revealing essay for The Athletic, Mullin reveals he first believed the consequences of his injury to be far worse than a spell on the sidelines.

Paul Mullin suffered four fractured ribs and a punctured lung after a clash with Nathan Bishop

The 47-goal striker was forced off the pitch during the friendly and taken straight to hospital

‘I was trying to breathe in but nothing was happening. I couldn’t get air into my lungs,’ Mullin recounted. ‘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.

 

‘I was thinking about my little boy, Albi. I hate being away from him and my partner Molly for too long but I had told myself it was only two weeks and that I’d be back home soon.

 

‘It ended up being much longer, but I’m so thankful it wasn’t worse.

 

‘I remember, a few seconds earlier, getting my head to the ball and then going down. For someone like me who will do that kind of thing again and again, being winded is something I’m used to.

 

‘It usually lasts around 10 seconds and is never nice. Only this time I couldn’t shake it.’

Mullin spent 13 hours on oxygen at UC San Diego Health before being discharged, and spent the remainder of his recovery in an apartment in Long Beach with two friends who had flown out to watch him feature in the California clash.

The injured striker turned down the opportunity to be put up by his co-owner, Rob McElhenney, with the club’s executive director Humphrey Ker revealing the decision was in line with his own hesitation at ‘staying in his boss’ house for 10 days to two weeks’.

 

Instead, McElhenney visited him at the rented apartment before flying to Wales with co-owner Ryan Reynolds to take in the club’s League Two debut.

 

Now that Mullin is back on UK soil however, his manager Phil Parkinson was prepared to share a positive update ahead of Wrexham’s Tuesday evening tie against Walsall.

 

‘The specialist was pleased with Paul. The lung has repaired really well and the ribs are progressing well,’ Parkinson shared with The Athletic.

 

Manager Phil Parkinson shared that the striker’s diagnosis is ‘better than expected’ by the club

‘There is no time-scale on Mulls’ return but he is slightly ahead of the initial schedule. We are pleased, as it is a better than expected diagnosis.’

 

Wrexham will hope that Mullin can return sooner rather than later but will still seek to try and replace their talismanic goalscorer during the transfer window to provide immediate cover.

 

The Welsh side will bid to string together a strong EFL Cup run after winning their first round match-up against Wigan on penalties.

 

Parkinson’s team will face his old side Bradford City in the second round in a thought-provoking test for the freshly-promoted side.

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