Arsenal legend Paul Merson is battling to remain in Strictly Come Dancing as the show returns this weekend.
The former Premier League star narrowly avoided elimination in Week 3, with Toyah Wilcox being sent home instead. Merson and his dance partner Karen Hauer managed to avoid the dreaded dance-off last week after a stellar performance.
However, they face a challenging week ahead as they are set to perform the notoriously difficult Samba to the 1976 hit Car Wash, with bookies predicting their elimination.
The Soccer Saturday pundit on Sky Sports has faced numerous challenges in his life, with his toughest battles occurring off the pitch. The two-time First Division champion has been candid about his struggles with addiction and its impact on his mental health over the years, according to the Mirror.
The man who scored 99 goals in 423 appearances for Arsenal has rarely had a quiet moment in his rollercoaster life. And Mirror Sport has delved into the Premier League icon’s past as he faces a pivotal Sunday, reports Wales Online.
It’s difficult to gauge how much Merson might have earned as a footballer in today’s market due to the dramatic increase in footballers’ wages over the last two decades. However, the retired midfielder has previously confessed that he squandered some £7million of his career earnings on gambling, alcohol and drugs.
Merson, a familiar face on Soccer Saturday, has carved out a successful career in television following his footballing days. Jive Dash estimates the 56 year old’s net worth to be around £12m, with his TV appearances and book sales making up a significant portion of this wealth.
The final two years of Merson’s playing career were spent at Walsall, where he also took on the role of player-manager before departing in early 2006. This marked both the beginning and end of his coaching career, and aside from a few appearances in amateur competitions, the former Premier League star has remained retired.
On a personal note, Merson first tied the knot with his childhood sweetheart Lorraine Costin during his time at Arsenal. The pair had three sons – Charlie, Ben and Sam – over the course of their ten-year marriage.
However, they parted ways in 2001 when Lorraine uncovered the full extent of his gambling addiction.
Merson’s second marriage to Louise Bache also ended under similar circumstances. After marrying and welcoming twin daughters Mollie and Maisie, the couple separated in 2013, with gambling once again being a major factor.
Merson waited another three years before walking down the aisle for the third time. He and his current wife, Kate, have three children together: a son named Freddie and two daughters, Sienna and Sadie.
The couple celebrated their eight-year wedding anniversary this summer, with Paul now on an ‘allowance’ overseen by his wife.
In a poignant 1994 press conference, Merson came clean about his cocaine addiction and other substance issues, leading to the Football Association sending him to rehab due to the negative impact on his game and training.
Merson has previously opened up in the Daily Mail about his past problems: “I started going to an all-night pub in Smithfield Market. Drinking on my own and snorting in the toilets. I’d hail a black cab at 8am to take me up to training and even have a couple of big hits sitting in the back. I had bookies chasing me, dealers chasing me. I settled one cocaine debt by handing over my Arsenal blazer and reporting it stolen. Paranoia took over.”
Merson battled through and got his life back on track, conquering alcohol and drugs. Nonetheless, he found gambling harder to quit.
A known concern in the footballing world, gambling addiction has affected numerous players. At the height of his career, Merson’s gambling was already causing considerable problems.
While football played a key role in helping him with previous addictions, gambling left a deeper scar, with Merson acknowledging the torment it caused: “Every day it would go through my head about committing suicide.”
Merson has openly discussed his ongoing battle with gambling addiction, revealing that he once squandered a £160,000 deposit for a family house on betting during the Covid-19 lockdown.
The former Arsenal player’s struggles were so intense that he admitted to wanting to break his own fingers to prevent himself from placing bets.
“The only time I felt relieved was when I had nothing left,” Merson candidly told talkSPORT.
“When I got to zero I was like, ‘I don’t have to do this any more.’ How mad is that? I was playing at Aston Villa playing away at Charlton. No one ever shared a room with me because I was gambling and never slept in the afternoon and I wanted to break my fingers so I couldn’t pick the phone up – that’s how bad the compulsion was.”
He has since taken drastic measures to curb his habit, including being self-excluded from all betting platforms. Additionally, Merson has arranged for his earnings, such as the substantial amount he will receive from his stint on Strictly, to be paid directly to his wife Kate to prevent any gambling relapse.
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