Wrexham AFC star Paul Mullin revealed he feared for his life after suffering a collapsed lung and four broken ribs against Manchester United on the club’s tour of the USA. Mullin has arguably been the on-field face of the Wrexham revolution, led by Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, as the Reds returned to the English Football League.
Against United in preseason on July 25, Mullin suffered a pneumothorax – a collapsed lung – and four broken ribs following the collision with goalkeeper Nathan Bishop at the Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego. Mullin was forced to remain stateside while the rest of the squad flew home, only arriving back in the United Kingdom last week after he was cleared to return following the alarming injury was had the forward worrying for his life.
“I was trying to breathe in but nothing was happening,” Mullin wrote for The Athletic. “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.
“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.”
