Paul Merson

Premier league footballer and manager Paul Merson is now best known as a match reporter for Sky Sports and a pundit on Soccer Saturday. He is often the target of good-humoured jabs from Jeff Stelling and other members of the Soccer Saturday panel, such as his attempts to pronounce the names of foreign players.

As a player, Paul Merson notably played in the Premier League for Arsenal, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough, he also earned 21 caps for England, scoring 3 times for his country. Merson still plays for the England Legends, a 16-man team of former internationals.

With an infectious smile always on display, Paul was championed by the Highbury faithful, and his team-mates appreciated him too. The Londoner bought flair and imagination to the Arsenal side, often producing the spectacular and unexpected.

The young Merson had bags of promise but spent time on loan at Brentford in order to gain some consistency. It worked. The forward returned from Griffin Park in 1987 and was thrust straight into the Gunners first-team.

Rather than be overawed by the situation, Paul Merson thrived, scoring three times in his first five starts. However, despite his early impact, a regular starting place eluded the talismanic striker until the 1988/89 season. Then, he coupled hard graft with verve and enterprise, going on to play a key role as the Club won their first League title in 18 years.

His development into one of the country's hottest prospects was confirmed with the PFA Young Player of the Year award, and international recognition soon followed - he went on to make 21 appearances at senior level.

Paul Merson had, by trade, been a striker, but as time went on a deeper lying role become more common. After a brief, but alarming, dip in form Paul found comfort behind Alan Smith and in tandem with winger Anders Limpar. From his new vantage point Merson could dictate the pace of an attack, combining raking diagonal passes with sharp exchanges and incisive runs. In 1991/92 he was irresistible.

However things began to go awry during the next campaign as Merson's well-documented personal problems affected his game. In late 1994 he underwent therapy for his addictions and some people believed he was finished. Not a chance.

Paul Merson returned with a an unbroken run of over 100 appearances. The fans welcomed him back with open arms. He was a firm favourite, not least for his mercurial talent but for the manner in which he carried himself on the field. He battled with every ounce of energy whenever he wore the shirt, replacing an initial caution with moments of the original 'Merse'. In 1996 he justifiably earned a recall to the England set-up.

Merson left the following summer. Gone were his playing days at Arsenal, but the memory of both his character and playing ability will last a long, long time.

Popular for motivational speaking and after dinner speaking engagements, Paul Merson is a fascinating and always compelling character.

With an armoury of amusing anecdotes and stories from his professional career, he is a full on, hugely entertaining character that is larger than life and always brimming over with enthusiasm and energy.

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Clients often ask about purchasing books for giveaways and delegate packs. Below you’ll find a selection of products by Paul Merson. Click the images to view on Amazon's website. For bulk orders, please speak with your Booking Agent.