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Paul Mullin has revealed the “one and only time” that he questioned his decision to join Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at Wrexham.

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Star striker joined from Cambridge in 2021Wembley & play-off pain in debut campaignNow chasing down back-to-back promotionsWHAT HAPPENED?

The prolific frontman was among the first marquee additions to be made to the Red Dragons’ ranks after they welcomed Hollywood co-owners on board in 2021. Mullin enjoyed a productive debut campaign in North Wales, hitting 32 goals, but suffered FA Trophy final heartache at Wembley and National League play-off pain after taking the decision to step down a division from Cambridge United.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT MULLIN SAID

Mullin has now revealed in his autobiography ‘My Wrexham Story’ that he did wonder whether the right career call had been made in heading for SToK Racecourse. He said: “An entire season’s work had just disappeared down the drain – and in our case we’d taken three body-blows in a row. We’d lost out on automatic promotion, lost the FA Trophy, and now, the one that left us flat out on the canvas, our big chance of redemption in the play-offs had been snatched away. We’d got so close, but in the end that counted for nothing. Believe me, that really does hurt. As I sat in the changing-room afterwards, for the one and only time in my Wrexham career that thought washed over me: ‘Should I have signed here? Was it really worth it?’ When I joined, I thought it was 100 per cent nailed on that we’d get promoted. Now, sat there, head in hands, all I could think was, ‘What have I done? You’ve put so much into this, and for what?’ I only expected to be in the National League a year. Now I was looking at a minimum of two. It was the first and last time I wondered if I’d made the right choice. Next day my mindset had changed. ‘Right, if that’s the way it is, we’ll just have to go out and do it all over again. Except this time we’ll win it. This time nothing will get in our way’.”

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Mullin’s patience was eventually rewarded, with Wrexham enjoying a record-breaking promotion push in 2022-23. He hit 47 goals in all competitions, as the National League title was secured in style, and Phil Parkinson’s squad were then rewarded with an all-expenses-paid-trip to Las Vegas.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MULLIN & WREXHAM?

Reynolds and McElhenney would happily fund another party in Sin City were Wrexham to move another step closer to the Premier League in 2023-24, with the Red Dragons currently flying high in League Two as they look to wrap up back-to-back promotions.

Bayern Munich have been dealt a severe blow as defender Sacha Boey has torn his hamstring.

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Bayern in terrible formTrail Leverkusen in title raceBoey now ruled outWHAT HAPPENED?

Bayern have been in poor form in recent weeks, losing to Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 last weekend, and then being beaten 1-0 by Lazio in the Champions League last-16 first leg. Now, they have been dealt a blow as Boey, a January signing from Galatasaray, faces weeks out after tearing his hamstring.

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Boey was signed for a fee of €30 million (£25m) plus €5m (£4m) in add-ons in January and has since made just two Bundesliga appearances, with his only start coming in the defeat to Leverkusen. However, his injury robs Thomas Tuchel of a useful rotation option.

Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?

The 23-year-old is a France U21 international but has never played for the senior team, and one has to think his move to Bayern was partly motivated by his desire to win a full cap. However, his injury issues may now put a pause on those hopes.

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Bayern are next in action on Sunday against Bochum. They are currently five points behind Leverkusen, so a win is desperately needed for Tuchel's side.

Wrexham scraped past relegation battlers Sutton United away from home on Tuesday as they recovered their push for League One promotion.

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Wrexham tested by SuttonBoyle nets opener for Red DragonsLee grabs late winner after Lakin equaliserGetty ImagesTELL ME MORE

It was a fairly uneventful first half from both teams during the opening stages of this League Two clash. Relegation battlers Sutton United arguably looked the better side at times, with Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo being forced into action on more than one occasion in the opening 45 minutes.

However, as we approached the interval, Wrexham were sparked into life by centre-back William Boyle – as he poked the ball into the back of the hosts' goal following a scrappy passage of play.

The second half was much of the same for both sides. Wrexham failed to hit the fluent and threatening heights their fans are so used to while Sutton pushed for an equaliser, which they eventually got through Charlie Lakin.

The Red Dragons were approaching a nervy last 15-minutes after relinquishing their first half lead. The threat of five games without a win and those around them in the table winning was looming – until midfielder Elliott Lee stepped up to drag his side to victory with a winning goal in the 85th minute. Better late than never.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE MVP

Elliott Lee: It wasn't a vintage performance from Wrexham this evening as they failed to hit their usual heights. However, Lee's goal secured a vital three points for the team – who were just moments from extending their winless run to five games.

The win will give them a well-needed confidence boost moving forward. A special mention goes to Okonkwo during the first half, though. From smart saves to coming off his line quickly and commanding his area, it was a very solid performance from the Arsenal loanee.

THE BIG LOSER

Jack Marriott: The forward was given the nod by manager Phil Parkinson, which he sadly didn't take. If ever there was a chance to grab a starting role from Wrexham talisman Paul Mullin, now was that time. The new signing was substituted after 72-minutes and his side conceded shortly after. He'll be happy with the win but will be hopeful he can get on the scoresheet in his next outing.

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GettyWHAT COMES NEXT?

The Red Dragons will now face their National League rivals from last season, Notts County, in their next fixture – as both sides continue to battle for a spot in the League Two playoffs. The two sides last met in October, where Wrexham secured all three points with a 2-0 win.

Andre Onana has helped Manchester United to five successive wins but is eager to point out that the Red Devils “have done nothing” yet.

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Red Devils unbeaten in 2024Finding long-awaited consistencyWork to be done in league & cupWHAT HAPPENED?

Erik ten Hag’s side have continued to frustrate their loyal legion of supporters this season with all too familiar struggles for consistency. They have, however, started to build momentum and remain unbeaten in 2024. Victories have been secured in their last five games across all competitions, allowing dreams of a top-four finish and FA Cup glory to form.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT ONANA SAID

Onana is, however, eager to ensure that everybody at Old Trafford remains grounded, with the Cameroonian goalkeeper telling on the back of a battling 2-1 win at Luton: “You know we have to be together in good and bad moments. We have to help each other even when things are not going good. But what we are doing now is very nice and it's the way we have to follow. We have to continue like this because we have done nothing. We didn't do anything spectacular. Yet now we have to continue winning games, and that is the main thing. We have to try to win against every opponent and especially the next game is another final for us.”

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Rasmus Hojlund bagged an early brace for United against Luton, making Premier League history in the process, and Onana added on fending off a fightback from the relegation-threatened Hatters: “This is giving us more confidence. We are all happy, you know, when we win, especially this kind of game. Because these three points are very important for us to fight to be in the top four. But like I said, it's always going to keep us together. This is just a strong motivation for us and makes us very happy.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ONANA & MAN UTD?

United will be looking to make it six wins in a row when they play host to Fulham on Saturday. Onana will be hoping to figure prominently in that contest, with the 27-year-old overcoming questions of his own form to start justifying the faith shown in him by Ten Hag and the Red Devils' board.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's efforts at Wrexham will be hard to replicate for other investors without "deep pockets", says a finance guru.

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Reynolds and McElhenney a hit at WrexhamSalford's Class of '92 owners seeking new investmentFinance guru issues warning to prospective ownersGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

While the Red Dragons have gone from strength to strength under their Hollywood owners, League Two rivals Salford City announced on Monday they were on the lookout for new investment "opportunities". The club co-owned by the famed Manchester United Class of '92 side, including David Beckham, Gary Neville and others, announced on Monday their desire to bring in "strategic partners" going forward. Financial expert Dr Rob Wilson claims this move may serve as a warning to future investors in the game, particularly regarding the difficulties in generating funds.

AdvertisementWHAT WILSON SAID

The finance guru, who is also a professor of economics at Sheffield Business school, told : "I think it [Salford's move] really shows the challenges in the financial landscape of owning a professional sport enterprise and particularly one that operates in the UK football system. It demonstrates that some deep pockets are still required, notwithstanding the financial regulations that are in place by the EFL or indeed the EPL, that those external investments are important for infrastructure and really for building solid foundations for the teams to progress. It also demonstrates that you don’t do quick fixes very often in football.

"And while the Wrexham story, the Salford City story, and one or two others showcase what can be achieved at times, in order to generate long-term sustainable sporting organisations it needs lots of careful and incremental progression to make sure that you don’t rise too high too quickly and then fall quite hard. I think this is perhaps eye-opening for any investor that looks to associate themselves with professional team sports generally, and football more specifically. And showcases the importance of having a decent amount of liquidity to put in with your investment so that you can have a significant impact on the sporting success of the organisations you choose to be involved in."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

At Salford, Neville stepped down from his role as CEO back in 2022, with ex-Red Devils midfielder Nicky Butt taking over the reigns. Under the Class of '92 ownership Salford have achieved four promotions in nine years, while also expanding their stadium by almost double its capacity.

Wrexham's is arguably even more of a success story, though. Reynolds and McElhenney secured promotion to the Football League after two-and-a-half seasons and continue to make significant efforts in the community as well as for the club. They too recently expanded their stadium capacity by the introduction of a new Kop stand.

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WHAT NEXT FOR SALFORD & WREXHAM?

The League Two duo are both in action on Tuesday evening. Salford host Colchester as they look to lift themselves off 19th spot, while Wrexham travel to Forest Green in an attempt to shake off their terrible form of late and cement a promotion charge for the second time in as many seasons. Phil Parkinson's side have slipped to fourth after 34 games, four points behind leaders Mansfield.

A big update has emerged on Rangers and Ross Wilson’s plans for the summer transfer window at Ibrox…

What’s the talk?

Alan Nixon has claimed, on his Patreon page, that the Gers are plotting a bid to sign winger Dapo Afolayan as a potential replacement for Ryan Kent.

The report claims that Bolton may not be able to turn down a good offer as the player has one year left on his contract. He is currently said to be valued at a fee in the region of £1.5m, although it remains to be seen how much the Glasgow giants are willing to pay for his services.

Gio van Bronckhorst needs him badly

Wilson must ensure that he can get a deal over the line for the Englishman as the Rangers head coach is in dire need of reinforcements out wide.

Bolton commentator Derek Clark dubbed him a “master” of the dark arts and claimed that his “mentality is top-notch”. This suggests that he will be able to adapt to playing for a club the size of Rangers as he has the right mindset and attitude to make it at the top level.

He has also shown that he has quality on the pitch with the ball at his feet. In League One this season, the 24-year-old racked up 12 goals and four assists from out wide, showing that he was able to find the back of the net on a regular basis.

Whilst four assists does not make it look like he was a creative force for Bolton, his underlying statistics show that his teammates let him down. Afolayan averaged 1.6 key passes per game and created eight ‘big chances’ in total as his fellow forwards failed to make the most of the opportunities he created.

Meanwhile, Rangers’ top-scoring midfielder in the Premiership with Joe Aribo with eight goals and no player managed more than 12 in the entire squad. This shows that van Bronckhorst is in need of players who can score consistently and Afolayan has shown that he can do it in League One.

If he can carry over that form into the Scottish top-flight then he will be exactly what the head coach needs, whilst also adding creativity with his chance creation from out wide on the left. This is why Wilson must now work hard to bring the English attacker to Ibrox ahead of next season, whether Kent leaves or not.

AND in other news, GVB can unearth Rangers’ dream Steven Davis heir in “desperate” 20yo who’s “terrific”…

Rangers brought down the curtain on another Premiership campaign with a 3-1 victory this afternoon as Ibrox manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst made 10 changes to his side.

The match was a warm-up before the two teams take to the Hampden Park pitch next Saturday to fight it out over the Scottish Cup as the season reaches its climax, and the Gers manager clearly had that and the upcoming Europa League final on his mind.

Debuts were handed to youngsters such as Adam Devine, Tony Weston and Cole McKinnon, the latter two coming off the bench, as the Dutchman put his faith in academy talents to see out victory over Hearts this afternoon.

The home side opened the scoring through Peter Haring in the first half, before goals from Cedric Itten and new sensation Alex Lowry gave Rangers a 2-1 advantage heading into the interval.

Van Bronckhorst made changes galore as the second half wore on and debutant McKinnon was rewarded with a first senior goal, showing the manager what he is capable of ahead of next season.

However, it was a performance to forget for another youngster in Amad Diallo, who let the 47-year-old down in a match where he could have proven his detractors wrong.

A SofaScore rating of 6.9 wasn’t the worst on the Gers team, but the Ivory Coast winger only had 47 touches during his 61-minute spell on the pitch, five fewer than Jon McLaughlin in goal.

Diallo also lost possession 14 times, the third most of any Rangers player behind Itten and Devine, and registered just one shot during the game (which was off target) despite playing in attack.

There is talent in the 19-year-old, as evidenced by some of his displays at parent club Manchester United, but his performances in his limited opportunities in a Rangers shirt just haven’t been up to the required standard. Of the 36 players who featured in the Light Blues’ Premiership campaign, he was the fifth-lowest rated by WhoScored, averaging a lowly 6.32.

At a club where victory is expected every week, it can be a baptism of fire for many youngsters, and it looks like the cauldron was just too hot for the Ivorian teenager, who once again let Van Bronckhorst down this afternoon.

AND in other news, Wilson heading for big Rangers disaster on “ridiculous” £6.4k-p/w tank, GvB needs him…

Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom has confirmed that the club are set to open new contract talks with goalkeeper Adam Davies during the upcoming transfer window.

The Lowdown: Contract extension available

The 29-year-old arrived at Bramall Lane on a short-term basis in January from fellow Championship rivals Stoke City, but despite his contract with the Blades being set to expire this summer, his deal does contain a clause that would allow the club to trigger an extension.

The United boss recently confirmed that there are six or seven different positions that he wants to address in preparation for next season, with one of those being in the shot-stopper department, but following a new update, it seems as though that might not necessarily signal the end of the line for Davies.

The Latest: Club set to hold talks

When speaking during an interview with The Star after Sheffield’s Championship play-off semi-final defeat against Nottingham Forest, Heckingbottom revealed they are set to hold talks behind the scenes:

“We have an option on him. Those include Adam.

“We’ll be speaking with him soon. His contract runs out shortly and so we’ll be sitting down and talking with him.”

The Verdict: International ambitions

Despite the Blades initially being keen on getting the move done at the start of the New Year, Davies is yet to make a first-team appearance for the Yorkshire outfit and is currently behind Wes Foderingham in the pecking order for that number one shirt.

The Welshman is part of Robert Page’s international squad, but has only been capped on three occasions, and so if he wants to stake his claim in representing his country in the World Cup later this year, he might have to consider whether or not he will receive enough game time to achieve his ambitions should he decide to stay.

Heckingbottom clearly has a strong vision in terms of the profile of player he wants in the building to make another push for promotion next season, but whether Davies will continue to be one of those yet remains to be seen.

According to the Daily Telegraph’s Matt Law, Tottenham Hotspur managing director Fabio Paratici will hold talks in Italy with Antonio Conte, offering the 52-year-old six signings in a plea for him to stay.

The Lowdown: Conte’s future

The Italian manager is currently taking a well-earned break in his home country to clear his mind, as he considers his future after guiding Spurs to a fourth-place finish and Champions League qualification.

It is believed that Paratici and club chairman Daniel Levy are in the dark over Conte’s current plans, who is debating whether to return to Italy, where his wife and daughter still reside.

The 52 year-old infamously hinted he could quit the club following a shock defeat to Burnley earlier this year, prompting links to former boss Mauricio Pochettino.

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The Latest: Paratici and Conte talks

According to reliable Daily Telegraph journalist Matt Law, Paratici is set to hold talks with the Lilywhites manager in Italy, ready to offer his backing in the summer transfer window.

Taking to Twitter, Law shared: “Paratici will hold talks in Italy with Conte. Transfers not the only thing under consideration but Tottenham ready to grant him at least six new signings – Fraser Forster set to be one.”

In the adjacent article, The Telegraph reveal that Paratici is to agree to Conte’s demands and will target two new wing-backs, a left-sided centre-back, a midfielder and a forward who can also play out wide. Tottenham will also sign a new back-up goalkeeper, with Southampton’s Fraser Forster set to undergo a medical this week.

Conte’s required assurance over the quality of signings is seemingly going to be met, with the north London club targeting Alessandro Bastoni, Gleison Bremer, Djed Spence, Christian Eriksen, James Ward-Prowse, Kalvin Phillips and Gabriel Jesus.

The Verdict: Hugely exciting

If Paratici can ensure Conte that he can pull off the ambitious transfer plans that they have set out, then it is likely to convince the former Inter Milan boss to remain at the club for another year, news which should come as hugely exciting for Lilywhites supporters.

With Tottenham playing in four competitions next season, adding depth to the squad will be imperative to Conte, and after the club ended the season winning eight of their last 11 matches, there is surely no better man out there to lead the squad into Europe’s elite competition.

Hailed as on a par with Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, the news that the club are willing to do what it takes to keep Conte happy is simply huge for Tottenham’s future.

In other news: Tottenham Hotspur: Fabrizio Romano shares news on a second signing at N17

Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie has been left impressed following the appointment of Dan Ashworth as Newcastle United’s new sporting director.

The Lowdown: Ashworth joins Newcastle

Newcastle have now announced the appointment of highly rated Dan Ashworth as the club’s new sporting director, after the 51-year-old resigned from his technical director role at Brighton back in February.

Ashworth joined the south-coast club in 2018 after a successful stint as the Football Association’s technical director, where he led various England age groups to international triumph with wins at three tournaments in 2017.

Since arriving at Brighton, the former FA man has helped establish Graham Potter’s side as a mainstay club in the Premier League.

The Latest: Downie’s verdict

Taking to Twitter, Downie shared the news of Ashworth joining Newcastle, and the Sky Sports reporter gave his verdict on the appointment, claiming:

“Feels like Dan Ashworth is as good an appointment as Newcastle could make for their Sporting Director role. Time will tell, but going by his past work this feels like a bold & clever piece of business. Also been a while since I wrote/said “with immediate effect.” #NUFC”

The Verdict: Great appointment

According to The Guardian, Amanda Staveley’s PIF-backed consortium identified Ashworth as a key figure when they completed their takeover last October.

They report that negotiations took place amid claims that Brighton wanted £5m in compensation to release him from his contractual obligations, and now a deal has been struck.

With the perseverance and money involved for Newcastle to get their man, this is clearly a great appointment for the North East club, who is highly rated due to his impressive CV in the sport.

As a result, Newcastle will now be able to start making moves in the transfer market with their focus set on next season’s competition.

In other news: Newcastle United: Magpies target Hugo Ekitike ‘told’ he can leave Reims