Paul Merson is a well-known English retired professional footballer, manager, and Sky Sports sports television analyst. Initially, a forward, Paul later found success as an attacking midfielder and playmaker. He played for the North London club for eleven seasons after making his debut for them in the 1986–87 campaign.
He was an integral part of Arsenal’s success under Scottish manager George Graham, helping the team win the Football League Championship twice, the FA Cup, the Football League Cup, and the European Cup Winners’ Cup. When he joined Middlesbrough in 1997, he contributed to the club’s elevation to the Premier League and second-place finish in the Football League Cup for the 1997–98 season. He joined Aston Villa in 1998 and went on to become club captain, appearing in the team’s final FA Cup game at the original Wembley Stadium in 2000.
Aside from that, he joined Portsmouth in 2002, leading them to the First Division Championship and Premier League promotion. He returned to the West Midlands with Walsall a year later, where he worked as player-manager up to his firing in February 2006. Later, he participated in matches for non-league organizations Tamworth, Welshpool Town, Caerau, and Hanworth Villa. He received 21 England caps and competed for his nation at both the FIFA World Cup in 1998 and the UEFA European Championship in 1992.
Paul Merson Age
Paul Merson was born in Harlesden, London, England on March 20, 1968. He is 55 years old.
Paul Merson Height
Paul stands at an average height of 6 ft 0 in/1.82 m tall.
Paul Merson Family
His parents raised him in Harlesden, London, England. Paul is of English origin. Currently, Paul has not disclosed any information about his parents or siblings.
Paul Merson Wife
Paul has a wife named Kate. He previously married Lorraine and then Louise. He is the father of eight children, including a set of twin girls. During his recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, his first marriage fell apart. Football player Sam, who is Paul’s child from his first marriage to Lorraine, currently competes for St Albans City in the National League South.
Paul Merson Salary
Paul pockets an annual salary of $98,756.
Paul Merson’s Net Worth
Paul’s approximate net worth is $13 million.
Paul Merson Career
He began his career as an apprentice at Arsenal, joining the team in 1984. Following a loan spell at Brentford under manager Frank McLintock, He made his Gunners debut against Manchester City on 22 November 1986 and quickly established himself in George Graham’s successful Arsenal team of the late 1980s.
By the 1988-89 season, he was a regular on the right wing, and Arsenal won the First Division with a stoppage-time Michael Thomas goal in the season finale against Liverpool at Anfield. He made his England U21 debut that year, scored 10 goals, and won the PFA Young Player of the Year award.
He won another league championship with Arsenal in 1991, and he scored 13 goals that season, his career high. He also won the FA Cup and League Cup in 1993, scoring in the final of the Football League Cup against Sheffield Wednesday. A year later, he helped Arsenal win its first European trophy in 24 years, defeating Parma in Copenhagen to win the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1993-94. In a fan poll conducted by the club’s official website in 2008, Paul was voted the 26th best Arsenal player of all time.
His career was jeopardized in November 1994 when he acknowledged having alcohol, cocaine, and gambling addictions. The Football Association arranged for Paul to go through a three-month rehabilitation program, and he returned to the team in February 1995, just before George Graham was fired as manager. Under the advice and financial support of the PFA, Paul admitted himself to the Sierra Tucson Clinic in Arizona in February 2004 to seek therapy for his gambling problem and missed numerous critical games as Walsall plummeted from mid-table mediocrity into the relegation zone.
He began writing a piece for the official Arsenal FC magazine in August 2006. Paul also participates in the England Legends, a 16-person team made up of former internationals who have been to Scotland, Ireland, Germany, Italy, and other nations. His primary employment is as a match reporter and regular pundit for Gillette Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports.
Jeff Stelling and other members of the Soccer Saturday panel frequently poke fun at him, especially his efforts to pronounce the names of foreign players. However, Stelling himself attempted to persuade Paul in September 2016 to accept that Ireland international Harry Arter (who had made his debut against England) should be called up to the England squad in the week Gareth Southgate took over in an emergency role following Sam Allardyce’s sacking.
Paul writes a weekly column titled “Merson Predicts,” which appears on Saturdays in the Daily Star’s “Seriously Football” section, in which he makes score predictions for the Premier League games that week. He co-hosted the Sky Sports TV show ‘Fantasy Football Club’ with John Fendley from 2012 to 2015. After John Fendley returned to Soccer AM as a co-host, Max Rushden began co-presenting from the start of the 2015 season.
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