Paul Merson
Personal information
Full name	Paul Charles Merson
Date of birth	20 March 1968 (1968-03-20) (age 39)
Place of birth	Harlesden, London, England
Height	6' / 1.82 m
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Retired
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1985-1997 1987 1997-1998 1998-2002 2002-2003 2003-2006 2006	Arsenal → Brentford (loan) Middlesbrough Aston Villa Portsmouth Walsall Tamworth	327 (78) 007 0(0) 048 (12) 117 (18) 045 (12) 077 0(6) 001 0(0)
National team
1988-1990 1991-1998 1991-1998	England U21 England B England	004 0(0) 004 0(3) 021 0(3)
Teams managed
2004-2006	Walsall
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. * Appearances (Goals) If you hold the copyright to an image (e. ... is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... , Harlesden is a district in the London Borough of Brent. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The Midfield in relation to the football positions In association football, a midfielder is a player whose position of play is midway between the attacking strikers and the defenders (highlighted in blue on the diagram). ... Arsenal Football Club (also known as Arsenal, The Arsenal or The Gunners) are an English professional football club based in Holloway, north London. ... Brentford Football Club are an English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. ... Middlesbrough Football Club (commonly known as Boro) are an English football club based in Middlesbrough. ... Aston Villa redirects here. ... Portsmouth Football Club are an English football club based in the south coast city of Portsmouth. ... Walsall Football Club are an English football club based in Walsall, West Midlands, currently reigning champions in the season in Football League Two. ... Tamworth Football Club are an English football team based in Tamworth, Staffordshire, currently playing in the Conference North. ... First International England U-21 0-0 Wales U-21 (Molineux, Wolverhampton; December 15, 1976) Biggest win England U-21 8-1 Finland U-21 (Boothferry Park, Hull; October 12, 1977) Biggest defeat Romania U-21 4-0 England U-21 (PloieÅŸti, Romania; October 14, 1980) & England U-21... England B team England B is a secondary football team run occasionally as support for the England national football team. ... First international  Scotland 0 - 0 England (Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872) Biggest win  Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882) Biggest defeat  Hungary 7 - 1 England (Budapest, Hungary; 23 May 1954) World Cup Appearances 12 (First in 1950) Best result Winners, 1966 European Championship Appearances 7 (First in... Walsall Football Club are an English football club based in Walsall, West Midlands, currently reigning champions in the season in Football League Two. ...

Paul Charles Merson (born Harlesden, 20 March 1968) is a retired English football player, and former player-manager of Walsall. His playing career has included spells at Arsenal, Middlesbrough, Aston Villa and Portsmouth. He also played for England 21 times. He was a skilful forward who later in his career dropped more into the midfield. , Harlesden is a district in the London Borough of Brent. ... is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... A player (wearing the red kit) has penetrated the defence (in the white kit) and is taking a shot at goal. ... Walsall Football Club are an English football club based in Walsall, West Midlands, currently reigning champions in the season in Football League Two. ... Arsenal Football Club (also known as Arsenal, The Arsenal or The Gunners) are an English professional football club based in Holloway, north London. ... Middlesbrough Football Club (commonly known as Boro) are an English football club based in Middlesbrough. ... Aston Villa redirects here. ... Portsmouth Football Club are an English football club based in the south coast city of Portsmouth. ... First international  Scotland 0 - 0 England (Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872) Biggest win  Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882) Biggest defeat  Hungary 7 - 1 England (Budapest, Hungary; 23 May 1954) World Cup Appearances 12 (First in 1950) Best result Winners, 1966 European Championship Appearances 7 (First in...

Career

Born in London, Paul Merson started his career at Arsenal, joining the club as an apprentice in 1984. After a loan spell at Brentford, he made his debut for the Gunners on November 22, 1986 against Manchester City, and gradually established himself in George Graham's successful Arsenal side of the late 1980s. By the 1988-89 season he was a regular on the right wing, at the end of which Arsenal secured the First Division title with a last gasp Michael Thomas goal in the final game against Liverpool. Merson scored ten times that season, made his debut for the England U21 side, and was voted PFA Young Player of the Year. This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... This article is about the year. ... Brentford Football Club are an English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Manchester City Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Manchester. ... George Graham (born November 30, 1944 in Bargeddie, Lanarkshire) is a Scottish former football player and manager. ... The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ... The 1988-89 season was the 109th season of competitive football in England. ... From 1889 until 1992, this was the highest division overall of organized football in England. ... Michael Lauriston Thomas (born August 24, 1967) is an English former footballer. ... Liverpool Football Club are an English professional football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside, who play in the Premier League; they are historically the most successful club in the history of English football, having won more trophies than any other English club. ... The PFA Young Player of the Year is awarded at the end of every English football season, by the members of the Professional Footballers Association, the players union. ...

With Merson, Arsenal bagged another league championship in 1991, both the FA Cup and League Cup in 1993 (Merson scoring the first goal of the League Cup final), and the Cup Winners' Cup in 1994. He also made his debut for the full England side, in a friendly against Germany on September 11, 1991. Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the English FA Cup. ... The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... The Cup Winners Cup was a football club competition between the winners of the European domestic cup competitions. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... is the 254th day of the year (255th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ...

Paul Merson's career was put on the line in November 1994 when he admitted to being an alcoholic and cocaine addict.^[1] The Football Association arranged for Merson to undergo a three-month rehabilitation programme and he returned to the side in February 1995, just before the dismissal of George Graham as manager. Under caretaker manager Stewart Houston, Merson helped Arsenal reach the Cup Winners' Cup final for the second season in a row - but they lost to Real Zaragoza, after Nayim scored a last minute goal from the half way line. Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... King Alcohol and his Prime Minister circa 1820 Alcoholism is the consumption of or preoccupation with alcoholic beverages to the extent that this behavior interferes with the alcoholics normal personal, family, social, or work life. ... Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. ... The Football Association (The FA) is the governing body of football in England and the Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Stewart Houston (born August 20, 1949) is a Scottish football player and coach. ... Real Zaragoza is a Spanish football team from Zaragoza in Aragón. ... A Moroccan-born footballer who played for Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur and Real Zaragoza, Nayim scored one of the most famous goals in European football when scoring the winner for Real Zaragoza in the 1995 European Cup Winners Cup final, an outrageous lob over the Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman from near...

In 1995-96, Paul Merson remained a regular first team player under Arsenal's new manager Bruce Rioch and continued to play regularly in 1996-97 following the appointment of Arsène Wenger. In a somewhat surprising move, at the end of the 1996-97 Premiership campaign, in which Arsenal finished third, Merson was sold to relegated Middlesbrough in a £5 million deal - making him the most expensive player ever signed by a non-Premiership club. In all Merson played 423 times for Arsenal, scoring 99 goals. The 1995-1996 season was the 116th season of competitive football in England. ... Bruce David Rioch (born September 6, 1947 in Aldershot) most recent position was as the coach of football club Odense BK in the Danish Superliga. ... The 1996-1997 season was the 117th season of competitive football in England. ... Arsène Wenger OBE (born October 22, 1949 in Strasbourg) is a French football manager. ... For the Scottish equivalent see Scottish Premier League The FA Premier League (often referred to as the Barclays Premiership in England and the Barclays English Premier League or just simply The EPL internationally) is a league competition for football clubs located at the top of the English football league system...

Paul Merson was a key player for Middlesbrough's promotion success as Division One runners-up in 1997-98. Merson also held the distinction of being the only player in England's 1998 FIFA World Cup squad not to play for a top flight club. In that tournament, he played in England's famous second round match against Argentina, scoring in the penalty shootout, although England eventually lost. // Premier League Arsenal overhauled Manchester Uniteds lead during the final weeks of the season to win the Premiership title. ... 1998 World Cup redirects here. ... A penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches which would have otherwise been drawn or tied. ...

In the summer of 1998, Paul Merson accused Middlesbrough of being a club with a drinking and gambling culture, insisting he needed to move away.^[2] He later refuted that claim, but it has left him as a hate figure for the people of Teesside^{[citation needed]}. In the autumn of 1998, Paul Merson was sold to Aston Villa for £6.75 million. He quickly established himself as a fans favourite due to his creative, flamboyant brand of football. He remained on the club's payroll for nearly five years, helping them reach the 2000 FA Cup final, before he was finally given a free transfer at the end of the 2001-02 season. Merson signed for Division One club Portsmouth, and was instrumental in the club's promotion to the Premiership in 2002-03. Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... The 2001-2002 season was the 122nd season of competitive football in England. ... Portsmouth Football Club are an English football club based in the south coast city of Portsmouth. ... The 2002-2003 season was the 123rd season of competitive football (soccer) in England, from August 2002 to July 2003: // England national team Key: ECQ = 2004 European Championship qualifiers, F = Friendly; scores are written England first European club competitions UEFA Champions League Manchester United - Quarter finals Arsenal - Second group phase...

Merson, however, felt that he was too old for a return to the Premiership, and wanted to move closer to his home in Sutton Coldfield. He was eventually snapped up by Division One side Walsall in summer 2003. Merson's troubles did not stop there. In February 2004, he admitted himself to the Sierra Tucson Clinic in Arizona to seek help for his gambling addiction, and missed several key games whilst Walsall slipped in the league from mid table mediocrity into the relegation zone. However, a couple of months after his return, Merson was quickly thrown into the manager's spot at Walsall following Colin Lee's sacking for allegedly having talks with Plymouth Argyle over a vacant manager's position there. Merson lead a gallant bid to retain Division One status, but was hindered by a harsh last minute penalty against Crystal Palace, and eventually relegated after a 3-2 victory against Rotherham United whilst having to rely on Stoke City beating Gillingham F.C. on the final day. The following month, despite relegation, Merson was rewarded with the manager's job on a permanent basis. , Holy Trinity Church on Trinity Hill north of Sutton town centre. ... Official language(s) English Spoken language(s) English 74. ... Colin Lee (born 1956) is an English football manager and former footballer. ... For details of the current season, see Plymouth Argyle F.C. season 2007-08 Plymouth Argyle Football Club (commonly known as the Pilgrims, the Greens, the Green Army or simply Argyle) are an English football team, playing in the Football League Championship. ... Crystal Palace Football Club is an English professional football team based in the London Borough of Croydon. ... Rotherham United F.C. is an English football club from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, that plays in Football Leagues fourth tier, League Two. ... Stoke City Football Club is a football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, England. ... For the team based in Dorset, see Gillingham Town F.C. Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent, currently playing in the Football League One. ...

2004-05 proved to be a difficult season for Merson, on and off the field. Walsall went out of all cup competitions against lower league teams, and it was reported that Merson had had a rift with his wife, and had started drinking, gambling and wanking again, whilst the press reported on him inviting disgraced goalkeeper Mark Bosnich back into the game. Walsall slipped close to a second consecutive relegation. 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 Perpetuini. Merson's side went undefeated during May 2005, securing League One status for another year. The 2004-2005 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England. ... Mark Bosnich (born 13 January 1972 in Fairfield, New South Wales), is widely regarded as one of Australias best football (soccer) goalkeepers of all time, representing his country on many occasions and playing for English Premier League clubs Aston Villa, Manchester United, and Chelsea. ... Julian Jostin Joachim (born 20 September 1974 in Peterborough) is an English professional football player who currently plays as a striker for Darlington FC. Joachim came through the youth system at Leicester City before being sold to Aston Villa in 1996 for £1. ... Steven George Gerrard MBE (IPA: []) (born 30 May 1980, Whiston, Merseyside) is an English football player. ...

After a difficult first season in management Merson's position at Walsall looked more secure as the club entered 2005-06; however, he was unable to lift Walsall out of the relegation zone, and with the club in 19th place, he was sacked on 6 February 2006. Despite a number of offers from clubs as high as the Championship, Merson opted to resume his playing career at part-time Conference club Tamworth, however this arrangement only lasted two games (with Merson playing only once) before he announced his retirement from professional football playing on 9 March 2006.^[3] is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Football League Championship (often referred to as The Championship for short, or the Coca-Cola Football League Championship for sponsorship reasons) is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League. ... The Football Conference is a football league at the top of the National League System of non-League football in England. ... Tamworth Football Club are an English football team based in Tamworth, Staffordshire, currently playing in the Conference North. ... is the 68th day of the year (69th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Merson has since decided to forge a career as a media pundit, appearing frequently on Sky Sports's Gillette Soccer Saturday. In August, 2006 he also commenced a column for the official Arsenal FC magazine. Gillette Soccer Saturday is a television programme broadcast on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom during the football season. ...

Following Leroy Rosenior's departure as Manager of Brentford FC, Merson was briefly touted as a potential replacement, although Scott Fitzgerald was eventually appointed to the role. Leroy Rosenior (born 24th March 1964 in Clapham, London) is a football manager and former professional footballer, currently without a club. ... Brentford Football Club (nicknamed the Bees or The red and white army) are an English association football club from the town of Brentford, west London and are currently playing in Football League One. ...

Personal life

Merson has been married twice (to Lorainne and Louise), and has five children. His first marriage crumbled under his recovery from drug addiction and alcoholism.^[4]

In March 2006, he was photographed by the Daily Mirror drunk at the Boujis nightclub in South Kensington. In June 2006, Merson was accused of rape after a night at a flat owned by Sloane Club in Chelsea, West London.^[5] But it was found that although he had been at the flat, he had been in another room with another woman.^[6] Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Alternate newspaper: The Daily Mirror (Australia) The Daily Mirror is a popular British tabloid daily newspaper. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Statue of Thomas More on Cheyne Walk. ...

References

BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC. It became a fully dedicated division of the BBC in 2000. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... BBC News is the department within the BBC responsible for the corporations news-gathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC. It became a fully dedicated division of the BBC in 2000. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 68th day of the year (69th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Alternate newspaper: The Daily Mirror (Australia) The Daily Mirror is a British tabloid daily newspaper. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about a British tabloid. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Alternate newspaper: The Daily Mirror (Australia) The Daily Mirror is a popular British tabloid daily newspaper. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 176th day of the year (177th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Paul Merson career stats at Soccerbase
• Paul Merson management career stats at Soccerbase
• Paul Merson at the Internet Movie Database
• Paul Merson at National-Football-Teams.com
• Profile at sporting-heroes.net

v • d • e England squad - 1998 FIFA World Cup
1 Seaman • 2 Campbell • 3 Le Saux • 4 Ince • 5 Adams • 6 Southgate • 7 Beckham • 8 Batty • 9 Shearer • 10 Sheringham • 11 McManaman • 12 Neville • 13 Martyn • 14 Anderton • 15 Merson • 16 Scholes • 17 Lee • 18 Keown • 19 L. Ferdinand • 20 Owen • 21 R. Ferdinand • 22 Flowers • Coach: Hoddle