Wrexham star Paul Mullin's delight over son's major milestone after diagnosis

Wrexham star Paul Mullin has expressed his delight after his son Albi reached a major milestone.

The striker has previously opened up on his son's diagnosis with autism, which he first shared in January last year, revealing he is also non-verbal.

Posting on X, formerly Twitter, he said it made his "happy and healthy boy...no different to anyone else".

Mullin discussed his home life further in an episode of Welcome to Wrexham, which explored the challenges that his family had faced.

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During the episode in season two of the Disney+ documentary, Mullin became visibly upset at one stage after admitting that he goes to bed every night feeling guilty.

The 29-year-old has now shared an encouraging update on his son's progress on Instagram following improvements in his speech, which he said was "like music to our ears".

The striker has made clear on several occasions that his family takes precedent over his footballing career and said in his post last night "stick the goals and accolades in the bin", describing hearing his son speak as "the proudest moments in life".

He said: “Big steps made within the last year, even the last few weeks. Albi has started to use words to communicate, copying everything we say also.

“At times days like today seemed so far away but we always had hope and never gave up! Seeing him experience Halloween and saying 'trick or treat' is something most take for granted but for us as a family it's like music to our ears.

“Stick the goals and accolades in the bin, my proudest moments in life have all come in the last few weeks hearing him start to use his voice.”

The Liverpool native frequently dons boots featuring logos that promote awareness of autism and celebrates his goals with an ‘A’ hand gesture, honouring his young son.

Since Albi's diagnosis, he has also become an ambassador for Wrexham-based charity Your Space, helping to raise money to support young people with the same condition.

Mullin has become a huge star since joining Wrexham from Cambridge United in 2021, scoring 108 goals for the North Wales club in 153 appearances.

His cameos in Welcome to Wrexham, which charts the journey of Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney as co-owners, have even made him a household name overseas.

Discussing his son's condition in more depth in his autobiography ‘My Wrexham Story’, the striker explained how scenes from the smash-hit documentary really struck a chord with him.

Mullin said: “When it came to the last episode of season one and that infamous play-off game in May 2022 against Grimsby, I wasn’t in any way prepared for how what I saw on screen would affect me. Footage of me taking a penalty was interspersed with clips of me playing with Albi in the garden.

“It showed what I already knew so well – that taking a penalty in a football match can never compare with being at home with my beautiful son. They got that so right. Yes, it was a big moment, but the perspective that Albi has brought into my life meant that when I kicked that ball I felt no pressure. I was ice-cold. It was just a kick in a game. I put the ball on the spot and scored.

“I admire that about Rob and Ryan – they’ve never fallen into the ‘football is everything’ trap. Yes, it’s massive, and it matters to people on a very deep emotional level. But it’s nothing compared to the health and happiness of your loved ones. Truth is, if someone said, ‘Stop football tomorrow and all your worries with Albi will be over,’ I’d shake their hand and say, ‘Sound.’”