Wrexham striker Paul Mullin credits Katy Perry with saving his career - as the 29-year-old opens up on the singer's 'amazing words about believing in yourself' that sparked a turnaround in his fortunes

Wrexham striker Paul Mullin has credited US pop megastar Katy Perry with saving his career. 

The 29-year-old has been a sensation in north Wales since arriving in 2021 on a three-year deal, becoming a hero for scoring the goals which fired the side to a return to the Football League last term. 

But it was not always so for the Liverpool-born forward who contemplated retirement during a bleak spell half a decade ago when he failed to find the net on a regular basis and saw his game time limited while at Tranmere Rovers. 

Mullin opened up on some of his struggles in his new autobiography My Wrexham Story, and revealed how Perry's song Firework sparked a revival in his career. 

'One morning I actually said to [my wife] Mollie: "I don’t want to go [to training with Tranmere]. I’m not going to play anyway. I can’t be arsed anymore. I just want to stay at home,"' he wrote. 

'Mollie talked it over with me, and eventually I did set off. On the way, mum rang. "I’ve just been listening to a song," she told me, "and it’s definitely about you." "OK," I said dubiously. "What is it?" "Katy Perry," she replied. "Firework".

'I put it on in the car and for the first time actually listened to the lyrics. What I heard were amazing words about believing in yourself, unleashing your true potential, and finding that spark. 

'It made me really emotional as I thought about why mum was telling me to listen. I know everyone in my family loves me, same as I love them, but in that moment it was something really special – "Someone actually thinks that about me."'

Mullin got into his groove again following an initial loan move to Cambridge, which he later made permanent in the summer of 2020. 

He won the 2020-21 League Two Golden Boot after scoring 32 goals in 46 appearances. He then continued his fine form with Wrexham, netting 26 times and being named the National League's Player of the Season in his debut campaign. 

Before scoring 46 goals in all competitions last season as the Welsh side returned to the fourth-tier for the first time since 2008. 

'It was a really big thing for me when I was feeling so low.' Mullin added. 'After the mental drain of Tranmere, I felt I’d had a whole new injection of energy [after joining Cambridge].

'I did everything I could to maintain that feeling, including playing ‘Firework’ as I drove to the ground before every game. At the end of the 2020–21 season, when Cambridge got promoted, mum put it on in her garden to celebrate.'