Paul Merson was born in Harlesden on 20th March 1968. Joining Arsenal as an apprentice in 1984, he made his debut on November 22, 1986
Paul Merson was born in Harlesden on 20th March 1968. Joining Arsenal as an apprentice in 1984, he made his debut on November 22, 1986. By the 1988-89 season he was a regular on the right-side, a mercurial attacking midfielder, noted for scoring spectacular goals. At the end of season, Arsenal had secured the First Division title with a last gasp Michael Thomas goal in the final game against Liverpool., Paul had scored ten times , made his debut for the England U21 side, and been voted PFA Young Player of the Year.
Arsenal won another League championship in 1991, both the FA Cup and League Cup in 1993 and the Cup Winners' Cup in 1994. In 1995, they reached the Cup Winners' Cup final for the second season in a row - but lost to Real Zaragoza . At the end of the 1996-97 Premiership campaign, Paul 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, Paul played 425 times for Arsenal, scoring 99 goals. He was a key player in Middlesbrough's promotion success as Division One runners-up in 1997-98 and, in the autumn of 1998, was sold to Aston Villa for £6.75 million helping them reach the 2000 FA Cup final.
At the end of the 2001-02 season Paul signed for Division One club Portsmouth, and was instrumental in the club's promotion to the Premiership in 2002-03. He announced his retirement from professional football in March 2006. Paul won 21 England caps.
