Paul Mullin bust-up rumours emerge after fellow Wrexham ace's dad called out Ryan Reynolds

Wrexham star Paul Mullin has allegedly been involved in a fall out with manager Phil Parkinson, with the 110-goal striker frozen out of the squad in recent weeks

Wrexham talisman Paul Mullin faces an uncertain future following a rumoured bust-up with manager Phil Parkinson.

The striker has achieved an impressive haul of 110 goals since joining the Welsh club in July 2021, playing a key role in their back-to-back promotions from the National League and League Two. Mullin has become a firm fan favourite during that time, as well as forming a close bond with Wrexham's Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

However, the 30-year-old has been left out of the Red Dragons' squad for seven of their last eight games after scoring only three goals in all competitions this season. Despite being fit, both Mullin and his strike partner Ollie Palmer have fallen way down the pecking order following the arrival of forwards Sam Smith and Jay Rodriguez during the January transfer window, with Steven Fletcher and Jack Marriott preferred as back-up options on the bench.

The move led to criticism from Palmer's dad, Andy, who took a swipe at the significant financial outlay on the pair in a since-deleted post on X, sarcastically writing: "They were a good buy." His comments were made as Reading striker Smith has managed just two goals so far, whilst ex-Burnley man Rodriguez has yet to find the net.

Speculation has now emerged that Mullin and Parkinson have fallen out in the wake of the Liverpudlian's absence on match days. The issue was raised by former Wales and Norwich striker Iwan Roberts on the BBC's Feast of Football podcast.

"You get the feeling, and you hear little rumours that there's been a falling out," he said. "Let's be honest, he's only got three goals himself this season. It’s the same with Ollie Palmer and he's got three goals in 27 appearances.

"It's not as if they were prolific before they bought Sam Smith and Jay Rodriguez into the club. I get it because he (Mullin) has been the main man for the last three years. He's been their best player and their main goal scorer.

"The amount of goals he's got is ridiculous, but he now finds himself maybe on the downward spiral of his career at the club and he's down the pecking order."

Roberts added: "I just get the feeling that something must have happened for him not to be included in the match day squad. Whether there's been a falling out or disagreement, we don't know. It's a sad situation."

Mullin has become a household name in the last few years after featuring prominently in the hit documentary series Welcome to Wrexham. He even made an appearance in last year's Deadpool & Wolverine movie as Welshpool after being cast by Reynolds.

However, the hot shot has faced disruption to his preparations during the last two pre-seasons after suffering a punctured lung in a friendly match against Manchester United in August 2023. Mullin then underwent surgery on his back last summer to address a long-standing lower-back/hamstring issue.

Speaking last week about Mullin and Palmer's continued absence from the squad, Parkinson said: "We've got a lot of strikers and it is difficult to keep everybody involved. We'll keep assessing it and looking at training all the time, and pick the team and the bench accordingly."

Wrexham are currently third in League One and fighting for another promotion to the Championship, despite a disappointing 2-0 defeat at Reading on Tuesday night. The North Wales outfit face second-place Wycombe in a crucial clash in the battle for automatic promotion on Saturday afternoon.

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.