Paul Merson

At 56 years old, Paul Merson has this physical status:

Paul Charles Merson (born 20 March 1968) is an English football television pundit and former professional footballer and boss.

Merson, a forward, found success as an attacking midfielder and playmaker later in his career, going on to play eleven seasons with the North London club in 1986-1987.

Merson, as a player for the Newcastle Gunners, was a key player in the club's triumph under Scottish manager George Graham, winning the Football League Cup twice, the Football League Cup, and the European Cup Winners' Cup.

In 1997, he joined Middlesbrough, helping the club win promotion to the Premier League and finish as runner-up in the 1997–98 Football League Cup.

Merson came to be a club captain and played for the team in the 2000 FA Cup Final, the last time to be played at the original Wembley Stadium.

He signed for second-tier Portsmouth in 2002 and led the club to the First Division Championship title and promotion to the Premier League.

He resurfaced with Walsall, where he went on to play as player-manager until he was fired in February 2006.

In his last appearance for England's national football team in 1992, he had brief stints with non-league clubs Tamworth, Whitton Athletic, and Welshpool Town, winning his final appearance in 2012 in the Combined Counties Premier Division, December 10th. Merson captained the team 21 times, and represented the country at the 1992 FIFA World Cup and the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

Personal life

Merson, who was born in Harlesden, North West London, has been married three times (to Lorraine, Louise, and now Kate) and has eight children, including one set of twin girls.

He was distraught with heroin use and alcoholism during his first marriage.

Merson was involved in a car accident on the M40 near Warwick, UK, in October 2011, and jailed for drink-driving.

Merson spoke about how drug use and gambling have affected his life and his continuing battles with heroin while filming "The Complete English," a 2019 ITV documentary. He has been lauded for his open discussion of the issue. During breaks in filming for ITV's Heroes: S2Ep1, Merson confessed to believing in former Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman that he attended Alcoholics Anonymous, including English speaking sessions in Paris.

During the Mental Health Awareness Week, Merson took part. Merson talked about how his binge-party, opioid, and gambling habits fuelled his mental instability in January 2020.

Source

Club career

Merson began his career at Arsenal in Harlesden, North West London, on March 20th, 1968. He joined the club as an apprentice in 1984. He made his debut for the Gunners against Manchester City on November 22, 1986, and then spent time on George Graham's productive Arsenal career of the late 1980s. He was a regular on the right wing in 1988–89, scoring a stoppage time Michael Thomas in Arsenal's final game of the season against Liverpool at Anfield. Merson scored ten times on his debut for the England U21 squad in his debut and was named PFA Young Player of the Year.

Merson won his second league championship with Arsenal in 1991 and had his best goalscoring season of his career with 13 goals. In 1993, he won a double of the FA Cup and League Cup, while scoring in the 1993 Football League Cup Final against Sheffield Wednesday. Arsenal won the 1993-94 European Cup Winners' Cup for the first time in 24 years as the Gunners defeated Parma in Copenhagen to win the 1993-94 European Cup Winners' Cup. He was a year later.

Merson's career was put on hold in November 1994 when he confessed to heroin, cocaine, and gambling addictions. Merson underwent a three-month rehabilitation program and returned to the side in February 1995, just before George Graham's dismissal as manager. Arsenal beat Real Zaragoza in Paris under caretaker manager Stewart Houston for their second season in a row.

Merson remained a regular first team player under Arsenal's new manager Bruce Rioch, and continued to play regularly during the 1996–97 season, until Arsène Wenger was born. Merson was sold to Middlesbrough in a £4.5 million contract at the end of the 1996–97 Premiership season, in which Arsenal finished third, making him the most expensive player to be signed by a non-Premiership club. Wenger had offered Merson a new two-year deal, but Merson turned down Boro for a longer deal. Merson played 423 times for Arsenal and scored 99 goals in all competitions.

In a fan poll released by the club's official website in 2008, Merson was ranked the 26th greatest Arsenal player of all time.

Merson left the Gunners to sign a relegated Middlesbrough contract for a reported £4.5 million. Merson said he was offered a new deal at Arsenal but decided against a longer deal and higher wages at Middlesbrough. Merson claims Wenger told him more at Middlesbrough than Dennis Bergkamp was paid at Arsenal when telling Arsene Wenger of his decision. Merson scored on his first day for Boro in a 2–1 victory over Charlton Athletic. He was instrumental in Boro's return to the Premier League, and fans affectionately referred to him as "The Magic Man." Merson's success with Boro earned him a spot in England's squad for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. He appeared in the 1998 Football League Cup Final while at Middlesbrough. Merson said he was home sick and wanted a return to South at the start of the 1998-1999 season. Middlesbrough later agreed to Merson's request and was sold to Aston Villa for £6.75 million.

Merson converted from his own missed penalty on his Villa debut. In an interview with Merson, he said that playing at Villa was the best part of his career. He went from forty five yards out versus Everton to a 'wonder goals' winner versus Everton. Merson was a central creative role on Villa's 2000-Eric Cup Final, where they lost 1–0 to Chelsea.

Merson began playing for Portsmouth on a two-year contract and was instrumental in the club's promotion to the Premiership in 2002–03. Merson, on the other hand, felt he was too old for a return to the Premiership and wanted to move closer to his home in Sutton Coldfield. Following a potential transfer to West Brom that was later regretted by then Manager Gary Megson, he was eventually recruited by Walsall's Division One team in summer 2003.

Merson admitted himself to the Sierra Tucson Clinic in Arizona to seek assistance for his gambling use under the PFA's direction and financial assistance. Walsall lost many key games in the league, from mid table mediocrity to the relegation zone. Following Colin Lee's dismissal for reportedly having discussions with Plymouth Argyle over a vacant manager's post, Merson was swiftly thrown into the manager's role at Walsall. Merson led a vain attempt to hold Division One status, but was defeated by a last-minute penalty against Crystal Palace, who was then dismissed after a 3–2 victory over Rotherham United, but not having to rely on Stoke City defeating Gillingham on the final day. Despite relegation, Merson was given a permanent basis in Merson's manager's position.

Merson's 2004-05 season was a challenging one, both on and off the track. Walsall went out of all cup games against lower league teams, and it was revealed that Merson and his wife had a break and started drinking and gambling again, although the press announced that goalkeeper Mark Bosnich had been called back into the game. Walsall has fallen close to relegation for the second time in a row. Merson responded by making several key signings on transfer deadline day; Julian Joachim, Andy Oakes, Anthony Gerrard (cousin of Steven Gerrard), Craig Pead and David Pertuini. Merson's side went undefeated during May 2005, winning League One status for the second year.

Merson's position in management after a difficult first season as the team entered the 2005–06 season, but the team's 19th place was sacked on February 6, 2006 after his Walsall side lost 5–0 to Brentford at Griffin Park.

Despite a slew of offers from clubs as high as the Championship, Merson decided to drop the leagues and play for Tamworth, which stunned many but not enthralled the Tamworth fans. However, the deal meant that the bulk of Merson's wages would be paid by the club he used to work, Walsall, until the end of the season. Merson played just once in the 2–1 home loss to Halifax Town. For the upcoming game, a 5–0 loss at Grays Athletic, he was moved to the bench. Merson resigned from professional football as a player on March 9, 2006, less than a month after joining Tamworth.

On March 28, 2012, he made a one-off appearance for Welshpool Town in the Middle Wales Football League, alongside fellow Sky Sports pundit Chris Kamara against Newbridge-on-Wye. In the 4–1 loss at the Maes y Dre Recreation Ground, Merson scored the first goal. Merson signed to Caerau's Welsh Football League Division Three team on October 11, 2017. Following international recognition, he made his international debut against Pontyclun on October 18th. Merson joined Hanworth Villa in the Combined Counties League Premier Division in December 2019, making two appearances for the Villains in total.

International career

Merson first played for the England national team in 1991, before being called up by Graham Taylor. In a friendly against Germany on September 11, 1991, he made his England debut on the full England team. He appeared in the 1992 European Championships in Sweden. He was drawn in the opening 0–0 draw with Denmark. England was disqualified after another 0–0 draw against the French and a 2–1 loss to hosts Sweden.

Merson was also involved in the unsuccessful attempt to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. He appeared in the first game, a 1–1 home draw with Norway. He came back to the Netherlands as a replacement for injured Paul Gascoigne. England was leading 21-01, but they had to concede a late penalty for a 2–2 draw. Merson also participated in the 1993 US Cup against Brazil and Germany, almost scoring in a 2–1 loss to the later, Bodo Illgner saving from a 20-yard shot. In Rotterdam, he returned for his crucial and controversial 2–0 loss to the Dutch. Merson almost equalized the first Dutch goal in the first round and then smashed the goal with a superb free kick.

England failed to qualify for the World Cup. Terry Venables, Taylor's replacement, told Merson that owing to his life style of heavy drinking, he would not join the team. Merson's book How Not to Be a Professional Footballer refers to an event in Chicago while on vacation with England during the US Cup. He walked off the streets on his own after alcoholic beverages. Merson became homeless and was involved in a fight when he was still inebriated himself. As the soldiers returned to Merson, he escaped back to the hotel. The FBI arrived at the hotel and briefed the guests on the dangers of the area. Merson was uninjured in the incident, according to them.

Merson was the only player in England's 1998 FIFA World Cup squad not to play for a top-flight team. He appeared in England's famous second round match against Argentina, coming off the bench and scoring in the penalty shoot-out, but England lost. Later, he said that if England had won their penalty shoot-out, he thinks England would have won the World Cup.

Merson's international career came to an end in 1998, when he scored three times.

Media career

He started writing for the official Arsenal FC newspaper in August 2006. He also works for the England Legends, a 16-man team of former internationals who have competed in Italy, Germany, Scotland, Ireland, and the rest of the world. Merson's main job is on Sky Sports, where he is both a match reporter and regular pundit for Gillette Soccer on Saturday. Merson is often the object of a good-humoured jabs from Jeff Stelling and other members of the Soccer Saturday panel; for example, in his attempts to identify foreign players' names. Stelling himself, in September 2016, tried to convince Merson that Ireland international Harry Arter (who had made his debut against England) should be given an England call-up this week. Following Sam Allardyce's dismissal, Gareth Southgate assumed responsibility in an emergency role.

Merson's 'Meriously Football' column is published every Saturday, and he anticipates scores for the upcoming premier league games, 'Merson Predicts'.

Merson co-hosted with John Fendley on Sky Sports TV's 'Fantasy Football Club' from the 2012–2015 season.' After John Fendley's return to Soccer AM as a co-host, Max Rushden took on co-presenting from the start of the 2015 season. On Friday evenings at 6 p.m., Fantasy Football Club is broadcast every week. Both co-hosts also co-managed a fantasy team in the Sky Fantasy 'Celebrities' League.

Source