JAMES MCCLEAN has played alongside some top strikers during his career and the wing-back certainly rates Wrexham team-mate Paul Mullin highly.

The 34-year-old, who played for Wigan Athletic, Stoke, West Brom and Sunderland before arriving at The Racecourse in August, will return to the Reds' ranks along with Mullin for Saturday's League Two clash at Accrington Stanley after the duo missed last weekend's 2-0 home win against Gillingham through suspension

Before sitting out the victory, McClean and Mullin signed off with starring roles off the substitutes bench as Wrexham came from behind to beat Port Vale 2-1 in last Tuesday's final EFL Trophy group game.

McClean set-up Mullin for the equaliser and then scored his first goal for Wrexham with a header from Luke Young's corner, but the Republic of Ireland international was quick to praise the prolific striker.

"When you have good strikers and goal scorers, they are always in the right area," said McClean.

"I have been a wide-man my whole career, you put the ball in a dangerous area and you are hoping they are there and a lot of the time they are because they are goalscorers.

"I put the ball across the box and that's what the man does, he scores goals.

"I rate him very highly, his record speaks for itself.

"He is a striker who can score all different types of goals; he is not just someone who scores six-yard tap-ins.

"You seen his goal against Sutton and the overhead kick against Crewe, he is a striker that has got quality and scores different types of goals.

"We are very lucky to have him."

McClean, who will represent Republic of Ireland for the 103rd and final time in Tuesday's friendly against New Zealand after announcing his retirement in October, feels Mullin is getting back to the top of his game.

Mullin suffered a punctured lung and four cracked ribs during the club's pre-season tour of America and missed the start of the campaign but he now has six goals in 2023-24 after finding the net against Port Vale.

"It was a serious injury but he is probably up to full-match sharpness now," added McClean.

"That's great for us because he is starting to get that goal tally up which is good to see so long may it continue."