All because of you - an open letter to Paul Mullin

After 110 goals and three promotions in five years, Paul Mullin has left Wrexham.

The 31-year-old was one of the key figures in the story of the club's transformation under co-owners Rob Mac - formerly McElhenney - and Ryan Reynolds, earning hero status among supporters.

Here, in an open letter to Mullin, lifelong Wrexham fan Tim Edwards of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, explains why the striker meant so much.

Dear Paul,

This is the sort of letter no Wrexham fan wanted to write because doing so confirms the unimaginable - a Mullin-less Wrexham AFC.

Sure, it's the nature of the game - players move on, so does the club.

Us mere mortals who worshipped the turf you walked on will eventually move on... but we'll never forget, I can promise you that.

I remember being tipped off about a potential move for you from Cambridge United back in 2021.

Our heads were still spinning from the Hollywood razzmatazz as we wondered whether it was all just the start of another false dawn.

I reluctantly posted about it on the Fearless In Devotion podcast's social media account, expecting plenty of mirth and merriment from fellow Reds.

It turns out that post was picked up on by Rob Mac, who in turn asked executive director Humphrey Ker whether we stood a chance of enlisting your services.

Just to be clear, I claim no part in getting you to join the club.

The capture of your signature was the first major step in allaying any fears we had about owners with big plans and bigger public profiles.

A proven striker coming in from a league above, one who'd fired Cambridge to promotion but was prepared to start Wrexham life at Solihull Moors in the National League instead of facing Oxford United in League One.

That debut was capped with a goal. Nobody takes a better penalty in football. Just smash it straight down the middle. Sometimes the simple ways are the best ways.

And simplicity was key to your success here - work hard, represent the badge with pride.

There were controversies about royal visits and slogans on your football boots, but those mini-dramas merely added to your aura, now your lore.

Wrexham might be Mullin-less now but your time here was anything but meaningless.

When you weren't taking the roof off opposition goal nets across the land, you were immersing yourself in the Wrexham culture. You became a figurehead for autism charities, you became an author. You even became a movie star... well, sort of.

You didn't quite manage to get a Cymru call-up, nor feature for Wrexham in the Championship. Regrets? I doubt it.

There are simply too many favourite moments to list, from the memorable title-sealing brace against Boreham Wood to that nonchalant chip which sealed victory over Stockport County to secure another FA Trophy final.

So many good memories in such a short space of time did more and still do more than you can ever imagine.

Your goals, your raw passion, your indefatigable will to win... they healed us. They helped overcome more than a decade of non-league purgatory, a life sentence we were seemingly destined never to be granted parole for.

Near misses and desperately poor defeats were replaced by certain success and an avalanche of victories. All because of you. Because you drove standards, you demanded glory.

And whilst this is the end of a truly wonderful era, I really hope you feel the outpouring of praise and thanks from Wrexham fans across the world. I hope those words help heal you.

Loan spells at Wigan Athletic and Bradford City simply didn't work out. So what? You've gone from being the right fit to wondering how you can continue to attain such heights.

You are just trying to replicate the happiness of your time at Wrexham elsewhere, something very tough to do when a harmonious dressing room ushers in a triple promotion.

I know you will never use injuries as an excuse for you falling out of contention at Wrexham, but to battle back from a punctured lung, fractured ribs and spinal surgery takes guts as well as glory.

And it's that work ethic, drive and sheer desire to win which will mean more success awaits you, wherever that may be.

Good things happen to good people, and very good strikers don't lose their mojo forever.

The managers at Bradford and Wigan simply didn't have the keys to unlock your well-honed skillset.

But maybe the acceptance that your time at Wrexham is over is what unleashes you in front of goal again.

You are not trying to prove Phil Parkinson wrong anymore. You are not trying to play catch up. You are not second fiddle.

So go and be the main man again elsewhere. Go and help drag a young, ambitious side thrive. Go and give a downtrodden fanbase reason to believe again.

After all, you made us dare to dream. You gave us a club to be fiercely proud of again.

The sleeping giant was awoken by a humble family man from Litherland.

And for that, we are forever indebted to you.

We've not got Mullin. I just don't think you'll understand.

Yours, a Wrexham fan.