#42 | "I Wouldn't Pay A Penny To Change Him" | Paul Mullin On Albi, Autism & Being A Dad

About this episode

<p>Paul Mullin has scored goals in front of millions and become a household name through Welcome to Wrexham. But this one is about the part of his life the cameras rarely catch: being dad to Albi, his autistic son.</p><p>Gaz and Andy sit down with Paul for an honest, Albi-centric conversation about the regression that stopped his little boy in his tracks, the guilt that kept him up at night, and why he wouldn&#39;t change a single thing about his son. Plus the moment Albi found a way to tell him &#39;you&#39;re my best friend&#39; without saying a word.</p><p>If you have ever felt like the only dad going through this, this one is for you.</p><p>Timestamps</p><p>00:00 Welcome Paul Mullin</p><p>01:00 The first signs, and Albi after his 12-month jabs</p><p>02:00 Regression: like a click of the fingers</p><p>04:00 The guilt, and crying himself to sleep</p><p>04:30 I wouldn&#39;t pay a penny to change him</p><p>05:35 Denial, and getting the diagnosis</p><p>07:20 Speaking about it on Welcome to Wrexham</p><p>08:24 The hope that kills you</p><p>11:38 Why &#39;he&#39;ll be fine&#39; doesn&#39;t help</p><p>13:00 Did he grieve? The problem-solver dad</p><p>16:14 Being a footballer dad: time away and routine</p><p>19:12 How Albi communicates now</p><p>22:15 Holidays: frozen meals, dry ice and the airport</p><p>25:40 Coming home: holidays, holidays, holidays</p><p>27:50 Razor-sharp awareness: he just knows</p><p>29:20 The crafty negotiator: jet skis and boats</p><p>33:40 The best friend clip</p><p>35:07 Macho on the pitch, in tears at home</p><p>35:48 Autism in Racing and giving back</p><p>38:26 Nobody ever asks the dad how he is</p><p>43:00 Advice to a dad just starting the journey</p><p>New episodes of the Autism Dadcast every week. </p><p>Real talk, real dads, real autism. </p><p>Listen, follow and find everything in our link tree in bio.</p><p><br></p>