Paul Merson
| Date of birth | 20 March 1968 |
| Place of birth | Harlesden |
| Nationality | English |
| Weight | 83 kg |
| Height | 1.80 m |
| Position | Midfielder |
Whilst battling against well documented personal problems, Paul was still recognised as one of the most skilful players of his generation.
With Arsenal, 1st Division Champion 1989, 1991, FA Cup winner 1993, League Cup winner 1993 ECW Cup winner 1994 and runner-up 1995.
At Aston Villa, Paul was recognised as the most exciting player at the club and in the Premiership. Skillful, good with the ball and quicker in the mind then many of his team mates, Paul was a revelation for Villa. Won the title with Arsenal and was a regular England international. Signed by Villa for £6,750,000 from Middlesbrough, he has had some well documented drink problems but has shown great character in admitting this and trying to beat it.
'Merse' returned to the Midlands when he joined Walsall on a two-year contract in July 2003.
Club history
| Team | Joined | Left | Loan / Trialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 01 Dec 1985 | 15 Jul 1997 | |
| Brentford | 22 Jan 1987 | 04 Mar 1987 | L |
| Middlesbrough | 15 Jul 1997 | 10 Sep 1998 | |
| Aston Villa | 10 Sep 1998 | 06 Aug 2002 | |
| Portsmouth | 06 Aug 2002 | 17 Jul 2003 | |
| Walsall | 17 Jul 2003 | 06 Feb 2006 | |
| Tamworth | 22 Feb 2006 | 09 Mar 2006 |
Club stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-87 | Arsenal | League Division One | 5 | 2 |
3 |
||
| 1987-88 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1987-88 | Arsenal | League Cup | 1 |
||||
| 1987-88 | Arsenal | League Division One | 7 | 8 |
5 |
||
| 1988-89 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 2 | 2 |
|||
| 1988-89 | Arsenal | League Cup | 4 | 2 |
|||
| 1988-89 | Arsenal | League Division One | 29 | 8 |
10 |
||
| 1989-90 | Arsenal | FA Charity Shield | 1 | ||||
| 1989-90 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 1 | 2 |
|||
| 1989-90 | Arsenal | League Cup | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 1989-90 | Arsenal | League Division One | 21 | 8 |
7 |
||
| 1990-91 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 8 | 1 |
|||
| 1990-91 | Arsenal | League Division One | 36 | 1 |
13 |
||
| 1990-91 | Arsenal | Rumbelows League Cup | 4 | 2 |
|||
| 1991-92 | Arsenal | European Cup | 4 | ||||
| 1991-92 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1991-92 | Arsenal | League Cup | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 1991-92 | Arsenal | League Division One | 41 | 1 |
12 |
||
| 1992-93 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 8 | 1 |
|||
| 1992-93 | Arsenal | League Cup | 9 | 1 |
|||
| 1992-93 | Arsenal | Premier League | 32 | 1 |
6 |
2
|
|
| 1993-94 | Arsenal | FA Charity Shield | 1 | ||||
| 1993-94 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 1993-94 | Arsenal | League Cup | 4 | 2 |
|||
| 1993-94 | Arsenal | Premier League | 24 | 9 |
7 |
1
|
|
| 1993-94 | Arsenal | UEFA European Cup Winners Cup | 7 | 3 |
|||
| 1994-95 | Arsenal | League Cup | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 1994-95 | Arsenal | Premier League | 24 | 4 |
3
|
||
| 1994-95 | Arsenal | UEFA European Cup Winners Cup | 8 | 2 |
|||
| 1994-95 | Arsenal | UEFA Super Cup | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1995-96 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 2 | ||||
| 1995-96 | Arsenal | League Cup | 7 | ||||
| 1995-96 | Arsenal | Premier League | 38 | 5 |
2
|
||
| 1996-97 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 3 |
1
|
|||
| 1996-97 | Arsenal | League Cup | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 1996-97 | Arsenal | Premier League | 32 | 6 |
1
|
||
| 1996-97 | Arsenal | UEFA Cup | 2 | 2 |
|||
| 1997-98 | Middlesbrough | FA Cup | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1997-98 | Middlesbrough | League Cup | 5 | 2 |
|||
| 1998-99 | Aston Villa | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1998-99 | Aston Villa | Premier League | 21 | 5 |
5 |
2
|
|
| 1998-99 | Middlesbrough | Premier League | 3 | ||||
| 1999-00 | Aston Villa | FA Cup | 6 | ||||
| 1999-00 | Aston Villa | League Cup | 4 | 2 |
|||
| 1999-00 | Aston Villa | Premier League | 24 | 8 |
5 |
2
|
|
| 2000-01 | Aston Villa | FA Cup | 3 | ||||
| 2000-01 | Aston Villa | League Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2000-01 | Aston Villa | Premier League | 38 | 6 |
2
|
||
| 2000-01 | Aston Villa | UEFA Intertoto Cup | 3 |
1
|
1
|
||
| 2001-02 | Aston Villa | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Aston Villa | Premier League | 18 | 3 |
2 |
||
| 2001-02 | Aston Villa | UEFA Intertoto Cup | 5 | 1 |
|||
| 2002-03 | Aston Villa | UEFA Intertoto Cup | 1 |
||||
| 2002-03 | Portsmouth | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2002-03 | Portsmouth | League Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2002-03 | Portsmouth | League Division 1 | 44 | 1 |
12 |
4
|
|
| 2003-04 | Walsall | League Cup | 2 | 2 |
|||
| 2003-04 | Walsall | League Division 1 | 31 | 3 |
4 |
||
| 2004-05 | Walsall | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2004-05 | Walsall | LDV Vans Trophy | 2 | ||||
| 2004-05 | Walsall | League Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2004-05 | Walsall | League One | 31 | 5 |
2 |
3
|
|
| 2005-06 | Walsall | League Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2005-06 | Walsall | League One | 6 | 1 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Club matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09 Aug 2003 | Walsall v West Bromwich Albion | W | 4-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 12 Aug 2003 | Walsall v Carlisle United | W | 2-1 | League Cup | 1st round |
| 16 Aug 2003 | Coventry City v Walsall | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 23 Aug 2003 | Walsall v Stoke City | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 25 Aug 2003 | Crewe Alexandra v Walsall | L | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 30 Aug 2003 | Walsall v Cardiff City | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 13 Sep 2003 | Walsall v Derby County | L | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 16 Sep 2003 | Ipswich Town v Walsall | L | 2-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 24 Sep 2003 | Bolton Wanderers v Walsall | L | 3-1 | League Cup | 2nd round |
| 27 Sep 2003 | Walsall v Preston North End | W | 2-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 29 Sep 2003 | Walsall v Gillingham | W | 2-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 04 Oct 2003 | Burnley v Walsall | L | 3-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 14 Oct 2003 | Watford v Walsall | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 25 Oct 2003 | Walsall v Wigan Athletic | W | 2-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 01 Nov 2003 | Walsall v Norwich City | L | 1-3 | League Division 1 | |
| 04 Nov 2003 | Walsall v Nottingham Forest | W | 4-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 08 Nov 2003 | Bradford City v Walsall | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 22 Nov 2003 | Walsall v Crystal Palace | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 29 Nov 2003 | Rotherham United v Walsall | L | 2-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 06 Dec 2003 | Walsall v Bradford City | W | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 09 Dec 2003 | Sheffield United v Walsall | L | 2-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 20 Dec 2003 | Walsall v West Ham United | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 28 Dec 2003 | Walsall v Reading | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 09 Jan 2004 | West Bromwich Albion v Walsall | L | 2-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 17 Jan 2004 | Walsall v Coventry City | L | 1-6 | League Division 1 | |
| 31 Jan 2004 | Stoke City v Walsall | L | 3-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 13 Mar 2004 | Walsall v Wimbledon | W | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 16 Mar 2004 | Walsall v Ipswich Town | L | 1-3 | League Division 1 | |
| 20 Mar 2004 | Preston North End v Walsall | W | 1-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 27 Mar 2004 | Walsall v Millwall | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 03 Apr 2004 | Derby County v Walsall | W | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 10 Apr 2004 | Walsall v Burnley | L | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 12 Apr 2004 | Gillingham v Walsall | L | 3-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 17 Apr 2004 | Norwich City v Walsall | L | 5-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 24 Apr 2004 | Walsall v Sheffield United | L | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 09 May 2004 | Walsall v Rotherham United | W | 3-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 07 Aug 2004 | Walsall v Port Vale | W | 3-2 | League One | |
| 10 Aug 2004 | AFC Bournemouth v Walsall | D | 2-2 | League One | |
| 14 Aug 2004 | Oldham Athletic v Walsall | L | 5-3 | League One | |
| 25 Aug 2004 | Sheffield Wednesday v Walsall | L | 1-0 | League Cup | 1st round |
| 28 Aug 2004 | Torquay United v Walsall | D | 0-0 | League One | |
| 30 Aug 2004 | Walsall v Swindon Town | W | 3-2 | League One | |
| 04 Sep 2004 | Doncaster Rovers v Walsall | L | 3-1 | League One | |
| 11 Sep 2004 | Walsall v Sheffield Wednesday | D | 1-1 | League One | |
| 18 Sep 2004 | Chesterfield v Walsall | L | 1-0 | League One | |
| 28 Sep 2004 | Walsall v Rushden and Diamonds | W | 1-0 | LDV Vans Trophy | 1st round - southern section |
| 02 Oct 2004 | Huddersfield Town v Walsall | L | 3-1 | League One | |
| 09 Oct 2004 | Walsall v Colchester United | W | 2-1 | League One | |
| 16 Oct 2004 | Wrexham v Walsall | D | 1-1 | League One | |
| 19 Oct 2004 | Walsall v Luton Town | W | 2-0 | League One | |
| 23 Oct 2004 | Walsall v Bristol City | L | 1-2 | League One | |
| 30 Oct 2004 | Milton Keynes Dons v Walsall | D | 1-1 | League One | |
| 02 Nov 2004 | Cheltenham Town v Walsall | D | 2-2 | LDV Vans Trophy | 2nd round - southern section |
| 06 Nov 2004 | Hull City v Walsall | L | 3-1 | League One | |
| 13 Nov 2004 | Slough Town v Walsall | L | 2-1 | FA Cup | 1st round |
| 20 Nov 2004 | Walsall v Peterborough United | W | 2-1 | League One | |
| 27 Nov 2004 | Stockport County v Walsall | W | 0-1 | League One | |
| 07 Dec 2004 | Walsall v Hartlepool United | W | 2-1 | League One | |
| 11 Dec 2004 | Bradford City v Walsall | D | 1-1 | League One | |
| 18 Dec 2004 | Walsall v Blackpool | W | 3-2 | League One | |
| 26 Dec 2004 | Sheffield Wednesday v Walsall | L | 3-2 | League One | |
| 28 Dec 2004 | Walsall v Tranmere Rovers | L | 0-2 | League One | |
| 01 Jan 2005 | Walsall v Doncaster Rovers | D | 1-1 | League One | |
| 03 Jan 2005 | Brentford v Walsall | L | 1-0 | League One | |
| 15 Jan 2005 | Walsall v Chesterfield | W | 3-0 | League One | |
| 22 Jan 2005 | Tranmere Rovers v Walsall | L | 2-1 | League One | |
| 25 Jan 2005 | Colchester United v Walsall | L | 5-0 | League One | |
| 29 Jan 2005 | Walsall v Huddersfield Town | W | 4-3 | League One | |
| 05 Feb 2005 | Walsall v Wrexham | D | 2-2 | League One | |
| 19 Feb 2005 | Walsall v Milton Keynes Dons | D | 0-0 | League One | |
| 26 Feb 2005 | Walsall v Bradford City | D | 1-1 | League One | |
| 05 Mar 2005 | Blackpool v Walsall | L | 2-0 | League One | |
| 19 Mar 2005 | Port Vale v Walsall | L | 2-0 | League One | |
| 26 Mar 2005 | Walsall v Oldham Athletic | L | 0-1 | League One | |
| 28 Mar 2005 | Barnsley v Walsall | L | 3-2 | League One | |
| 02 Apr 2005 | Walsall v Torquay United | D | 1-1 | League One | |
| 23 Aug 2005 | Crystal Palace v Walsall | L | 3-0 | League Cup | 1st round |
| 29 Aug 2005 | AFC Bournemouth v Walsall | D | 0-0 | League One | |
| 03 Sep 2005 | Walsall v Swindon Town | W | 1-0 | League One | |
| 17 Sep 2005 | Walsall v Chesterfield | L | 2-3 | League One | |
| 24 Sep 2005 | Scunthorpe United v Walsall | W | 1-3 | League One | |
| 27 Sep 2005 | Walsall v Brentford | D | 0-0 | League One | |
| 10 Dec 2005 | Nottingham Forest v Walsall | D | 1-1 | League One | |
| 17 Dec 2005 | Walsall v Hartlepool United | W | 1-0 | League One | |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-87 | England | Under-19 Youth Tournament | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1988-89 | England | UEFA Under-21 | 1 |
||||
| 1988-89 | England | Under-21 | 2 | ||||
| 1989-90 | England | UEFA Under-21 | 1 | ||||
| 1991-92 | England | B International | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1991-92 | England | International Friendly | 2 | 3 |
1 |
||
| 1991-92 | England | OT v B | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1991-92 | England | UEFA European Championship | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1992-93 | England | FIFA World Cup | 2 |
||||
| 1992-93 | England | International Friendly | 1 |
||||
| 1992-93 | England | US Cup | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1993-94 | England | B International | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1993-94 | England | FIFA World Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1993-94 | England | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 1996-97 | England | FIFA World Cup | 1 |
||||
| 1997-98 | England | B International | 1 | ||||
| 1997-98 | England | FIFA World Cup | 1 |
||||
| 1997-98 | England | International Friendly | 1 | 1 |
1 |
||
| 1997-98 | England | King Hassan II Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1998-99 | England | International Friendly | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1998-99 | England | UEFA European Championship | 1 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02 Jun 1987 | Brazil v England | L | 2-0 | U19 YOUTH TOUR | |
| 10 Jun 1987 | Uruguay v England | D | 2-2 | U19 YOUTH TOUR | |
| 13 Sep 1988 | England v Denmark | D | 0-0 | Under-21 | |
| 07 Feb 1989 | Greece v England | L | 1-0 | Under-21 | |
| 02 Jun 1989 | England v Poland | W | 2-1 | UEFA Under-21 | Group 2 |
| 10 Oct 1989 | Poland v England | W | 1-3 | UEFA Under-21 | Group 2 |
| 11 Sep 1991 | England v Germany | L | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 18 Dec 1991 | Spain v England | W | 0-1 | OT v B | |
| 18 Feb 1992 | England v France | W | 3-0 | B INTER | |
| 25 Mar 1992 | Czechoslovakia v England | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 12 May 1992 | Hungary v England | W | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 17 May 1992 | England v Brazil | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 03 Jun 1992 | Finland v England | W | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 11 Jun 1992 | Denmark v England | D | 0-0 | UEFA European Championship | Finals group 1 |
| 17 Jun 1992 | Sweden v England | L | 2-1 | UEFA European Championship | Finals group 1 |
| 09 Sep 1992 | Spain v England | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 14 Oct 1992 | England v Norway | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 2 |
| 28 Apr 1993 | England v Netherlands | D | 2-2 | FIFA World Cup | Group 2 |
| 13 Jun 1993 | England v Brazil | D | 1-1 | US Cup | |
| 19 Jun 1993 | England v Germany | L | 1-2 | US Cup | |
| 13 Oct 1993 | Netherlands v England | L | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 2 |
| 10 May 1994 | England v Northern Ireland | W | 4-2 | B International | |
| 17 May 1994 | England v Greece | W | 5-0 | International Friendly | |
| 12 Feb 1997 | England v Italy | L | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 2 |
| 10 Feb 1998 | England v Chile | L | 1-2 | B International | |
| 25 Mar 1998 | Switzerland v England | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 22 Apr 1998 | England v Portugal | W | 3-0 | International Friendly | |
| 29 May 1998 | Belgium v England | L | 0-0 (3-4) | King Hassan II Cup | |
| 30 Jun 1998 | Argentina v England | L | 2-2 (3-4) | FIFA World Cup | Finals 2nd round |
| 05 Sep 1998 | Sweden v England | L | 2-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 5 |
| 18 Nov 1998 | England v Czech Republic | W | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.