Tranmere’s Liverpool fan not Mullin around as he targets shock Man Utd giant killing in FA Cup
PAUL MULLIN hopes to pile on the misery for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a week after cheering his Kop idols to victory from the pub.
The Tranmere hero was on Liverpool’s books until he was released at 16 but remains a huge supporter of the club and would love to stick the boot into their bitter rivals in the FA Cup on the Prenton Park ‘beach’.
The striker clinched tomorrow’s money-spinning tie for the League One strugglers with his headed extra-time winner against Watford on Thursday.
Mullin also scored the penalty equaliser when Tranmere came back from 3-0 down at Vicarage Road to force the replay.
Now he wants to emulate what Jurgen Klopp’s runaway Premier League leaders did to Manchester United last Sunday — to ensure he gets a ticket at Anfield whenever he wants.
The Scouser, 25, said: “The United game was the only one in two years I haven’t been able to get a ticket for — that and Barcelona last season!
“But if I can score the winner on Sunday, they will all be giving me tickets then!
“I went to my brother-in-law’s pub, The Croc, with my girlfriend and my mum and dad to watch the United game and had a few hours in Liverpool.
“As a kid growing up and supporting Liverpool, it’s brilliant to be facing Manchester United.
“It will be a great day and I will try to express myself and score against them. I can’t wait for it.
“Adding more misery to United is good motivation but, to be fair, I want to do it for the fans that are here at Tranmere.
They’re the ones who come to support us every week.”
UNITED HIT BY INJURIES
Mullin hopes their notorious heavily sanded pitch will give them an advantage against a struggling Red Devils side hit by injuries and lacking in confidence.
He added: “The pitch is not in great condition, everyone can see that and knows that. United have fantastic players but it’s a game of football, 11 versus 11. They’re going to give their all and we will make it as hard as we can for them.
“In football, there is always a chance to go and do a job on teams. We are coming into the game with confidence, we have beaten Watford so let’s give it our best shot and see where it takes us.”
Tranmere will earn over £500,000 from live TV fee, prize money and gate receipts.
But Mullin knows there could be an even bigger jackpot for the hard-up club, who were down in the National League two years ago — if they can earn a replay at Old Trafford.
And the former Swindon star does not agree with the call to scrap replays to ease congested fixtures.
He said: “The FA Cup is brilliant. You grow up watching it. It’s historic. To get to the final is what you dream about as a kid. But why should replays be scrapped?
“It would be great to win but to get a replay and go and play at Old Trafford, one of the most famous stadiums in the world, would be massive for the lads and the club, especially money-wise.
“It would be a dream for the lads. There are Man United fans in our changing room — Connor Jennings is a big one — why wouldn’t they want to go and play there? It would be great for all the fans here, who go home and away, into stadiums nowhere near the size of Old Trafford.
When you’re a kid, it’s your dream to be at the club you support and when you are released at 16, you think your whole world has fallen apart.
“They come no matter how we are doing. Last year it was great, the year before was great but this year we haven’t been doing so well.The FA Cup has given them something to cheer about.”
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Mullin admits he was devastated when Liverpool released him but is proud of the way he has bounced back. He revealed: “When you’re a kid, it’s your dream to be at the club you support and when you are released at 16, you think your whole world has fallen apart.
“To be playing here at Tranmere, 20 minutes from home, is a fantastic feeling, with your family there to support you every week.
“There’s only three of us from my age group when I was at Liverpool playing now — Raheem Sterling at Manchester City, Jak McCourt at Macclesfield and myself.”
After two successive promotions, Tranmere are struggling in the League One drop zone after only one win in their last ten games.
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But boss Micky Mellon hopes to strengthen his squad with the money generated by the United tie.
Mellon, who was Shrewsbury boss when they lost to Louis van Gaal’s United in the fifth round in 2016, said: “The win over Watford was a massive night for a host of reasons. We know we need to strengthen and I’d hope this tie should give us the opportunity to do so.”