By SUZANNE GELDARD

AS far as professional footballers go, Paul Mullin is something of a late starter.

At 30, the Accrington Stanley striker is preparing to embark on a whole new adventure with the club next season.

A financial advisor by trade, Mullin maintained the family footballing tradition on the local non-league scene.

His father, Bernard, and uncle Kevin Cooke both played for Manchester City, while brother John has played for Burnley, Sunderland and recently signed a new two-year deal with Rotherham.

Paul, however, has had a steady progression - building up a reputation as a prolific goalscorer on the non-league scene while playing for sides such as Darwen, Clitheroe, Trafford, Radcliffe Borough and Stanley.

But, on July 1, he will also officially become a professional footballer as Stanley make the switch from a part-time to full-time club. And Mullin can't wait.

"It's great to now be able to call myself a professional footballer. It's only taken me until I'm 30 to be able to say that!," he smiled.

"I'm still going to have to carry on doing a bit of work. I'll have to get my suit on in the afternoons, but it won't have an effect on my training sessions."

Mullin's decision to stay with the Reds will have been music to the ears of supporters who made him their player of the season at the end of Stanley's inaugural Nationwide Conference campaign.

The striker, who also picked up the players' player, goalscorer and website player of the year awards, finished the season with 24 goals - four ahead of the target he set in pre-season.

Three of those goals were scored in the club's well-documented FA Cup run.

The second - a particular highlight for Mullin - came in the initial second round game at Bournemouth.

And had he felt confident enough to take penalties, he could easily have added to his tally in the replay.

However, hitting the back of net from the spot is not high on the former St Theodore's pupil's list of fortes.

"I wouldn't have taken a penalty in the replay. I've never been able to take penalties. I'd score loads more goals if I could, but I can't," Mullin confessed.

"It's probably because I've got too much time to think about it, so I just never take them.

"When I started playing football at school, I missed a few.

"I took one for Clitheroe when I was there and missed that as well, so it's probably a confidence thing now, which is strange considering I score goals.

"But scoring at Bournemouth was probably my highlight of the season because it was just a great day, with all of the fans there, and my mum and dad had travelled to the game with friends," he continued.

"It was a nice feeling scoring in front of their fans. I was quite casual with my celebration but inside I was jumping for joy."

He added: "It was a special day, and all the fuss that went on afterwards, like being interviewed for Match of the Day, made it even more so because that's something that will never happen again."

But with more time being devoted to football for Mullin and the rest of the squad, instead of trying to juggle a career and playing for Stanley, they may yet get to repeat their 15 - or even 120 - minutes of fame.

Mullin certainly hopes so.

"It's important to remember how far we've come, with the cup runs as well," he reflects.

"It took a lot to get used to the travelling, and the standard of football was better as well. It's quicker, and you don't get the ball back as quickly once you lose it, and the players are physically stronger.

"We did well against the top sides, except for the home game against Chester when they beat us 2-0 and I think perhaps caught us at our worst that day.

"But in the first game against them, when we were riding high, we were unlucky not to win that game.

Sacrificing the bulk of his nine-to-five job for football is something the father-of-three admits he put a lot of thought into.

But the support of his wife, Fiona, helped made his decision easier, as well as an ambition he is desperate to see come to fruition.

"My ultimate aim is to help get Stanley playing in the Football League again," he said.

"It was a big decision for me to go full-time but I just know that the club's on the verge of doing something really good, and after being here for four years and being a part of what's happened it would be a shame if I wasn't to be involved now.

"I'd be extremely disappointed if we don't make the play-offs next year.

"Going full time raises people's expectations and puts a bit of pressure on us at the start of the season, so it will be interesting to see how we cope with that."