Who is Strictly Come Dancing contestant Paul Merson? Meet Arsenal legend and Sky Sports pundit joining BBC ballroom show
PAUL MERSON is a legend in football, but he’ll soon be heading off to Strictly Come Dancing.
Meet the man who is looking to see if his skill with a football will help him move his feet on the dance floor.
Paul joined Arsenal in 1984Getty Images
Fred struggles with an addiction to gamblingAFP
Who is Paul Merson?
Paul Merson is an English former professional footballer, manager, commentator and sports television.
Born on 20 March 1968, in London, he joined Arsenal as an apprentice in 1984.
By 1989 he was a regular on the right-wing and went on to play eleven seasons with the football club.
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After retiring, he carried on working in the sport – as a match reporter and pundit for Sky Sports.
Now that he’s hung up his boots, he’s putting on his dancing shoes and heading to Strictly.
He is joining the show after it has been hit with scandal after scandal.
In 2024, Amanda Abbington accused her dancer partner Giovanni Pearce of being “abusive”
This was before a dancer came forward and said that dancers “screamed” at him and created a toxic work environment on-set.
When did Paul Merson retire and who did he play for?
On March 9, 2006, Merson announced that his playing days were over and that he was retiring from the sport – but not without leaving his mark.
His distinguished career saw him play for Arsenal from 1985 to 1997 – during his time at the club he won the First Division – now Premier League, twice.
His career was put on the line in November 1994 when he admitted to having addictions to alcohol, drugs and gambling.
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The Football Association arranged for Merson to undergo a three-month rehabilitation programme and he returned to the side in February 1995.
In 2008, Merson was ranked the 26th greatest Arsenal player of all-time in a fan poll published by the club’s official website.
Merson also took part in the 1998 World Cup where they lost to Argentina in the infamous penalty shootout.
Is Paul Merson married and does he have any children?
He is currently married to Kate Merson, his third wife.
The ex-Arsenal star previously wed Lorraine Costin and Louise.
The Sky Sports pundit has eight children – including twin girls.
His son Sam from his first marriage with Lorraine, also followed in his fathers footsteps and he too went on to become a footballer.
In 2021, The Sun told how his wife Kate gave him only a cash allowance after he gambled away their house deposit in a lockdown relapse.
