Wrexham star Paul Mullin says he refused to be taken off on a stretcher despite suffering a punctured lung as he didn’t want to worry his family.
During a pre-season clash with Manchester United last summer, Mullin had a nasty collision with goalkeeper Nathan Bishop – now at Sunderland – before later being given oxygen and taken to hospital.
However, the striker said it was a “non-negotiable” that he walked off the field rather than being stretchered off as that would unnecessarily scare his family.
The 29-year-old did admit that was a mistake, however.
Family Concerns
He said on the first episode of season three’s ‘Welcome to Wrexham’:
“I was trying to tell the physios that I cannot sit on a stretcher.
“I’ve got family watching back home it’s the early hours of the morning.
“If I sit on that or lie on that with an oxygen mask on, they’re going to be even more worried than they are now.
“I should never have done that, but I had to with my family watching.
“It’s just something that’s non-negotiable for me.”
While Mullin made a full recovery and returned to help fire Wrexham into League One, the forward admitted after the incident that he feared for his life.
While his team-mates returned to Wales, Mullin recovered out in Los Angeles.
”I was trying to breathe in but nothing was happening.
“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,” Mullin told The Athletic in August.
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Following their promotion from League Two, Mullin and his Wrexham team-mates will enjoy some time off before returning to the United States in July for some friendlies against Bournemouth, Chelsea and Vancouver Whitecaps.
