Paul Merson
Midfield - Right Midfield
at Retired
👕500+ Apps
⚽100+ Goals
🎯50+ Assists
🏴25+ Caps
⏳Veteran
Market value
—
Right Midfield Midfield
Career snapshot
5
clubs played for
00/01
debut season
0.2
goals / match
Arsenal FC
top club · 423 apps
Position rank · 99/00
#24
goals rank
#3
assists rank
153
season goals
91
season assists
Among 99 Midfield - Right Midfields · ≥200 mins
Career highs
€1.00m
peak value · 2004
€6.75m
top transfer fee · 98/99
16
best season · 90/91
29 / 6
int'l caps / goals
752Appearances
153Goals
91Assists
26Yellow cards
0Red cards
155Full matches (90′)
| Full name | Paul Merson |
|---|---|
| Name in home country | Paul Charles Merson |
| Date of birth | 1968-03-20 (58 yrs) |
| Place of birth | Harlesden, London, England, England |
| Citizenship |  England |
| Position | Midfield - Right Midfield (main: Midfield) |
| Foot | N/A |
| Height | 183.00 m |
| Current club | Retired |
| Joined | 2020-01-01 |
| Contract expires | — |
Jan 2020
Transfer: Hanworth Villa → Retired
19/20 · Transfer
Dec 2019
Transfer: Career break → Hanworth Villa
19/20 · Transfer
Jan 2018
Transfer: Caerau → Career break
17/18 · Transfer
Oct 2017
Transfer: Career break → Caerau
17/18 · Transfer
Jul 2012
Transfer: Welshpool → Career break
12/13 · Transfer
Mar 2012
Transfer: Career break → Welshpool
11/12 · Transfer
Mar 2006
Transfer: Tamworth → Career break
06/07 · Transfer
Feb 2006
Transfer: Walsall → Tamworth
05/06 · Transfer
Jul 2005
05/06 — Walsall FC
8 matches · 0 G · 1 A · across 2 competitions
Jul 2004
04/05 — Walsall FC
38 matches · 2 G · 20 A · across 3 competitions
Jul 2003
Transfer: Portsmouth → Walsall
03/04 · Transfer
Jul 2003
03/04 — Walsall FC
36 matches · 6 G · 2 A · across 2 competitions
Aug 2002
Transfer: Aston Villa → Portsmouth
02/03 · Transfer
Jul 2002
02/03 — Portsmouth FC, Aston Villa
49 matches · 12 G · 0 A · across 4 competitions
Jul 2001
01/02 — Aston Villa
27 matches · 3 G · 0 A · across 3 competitions
Jul 2000
00/01 — Aston Villa
45 matches · 6 G · 3 A · across 4 competitions
Jul 1999
99/00 — Aston Villa
44 matches · 5 G · 10 A · across 3 competitions
Sep 1998
Transfer: Middlesbrough → Aston Villa
98/99 · Transfer · €6.75m
Jul 1998
98/99 — Aston Villa, Middlesbrough FC
30 matches · 5 G · 3 A · across 2 competitions
Jul 1997
Transfer: Arsenal → Middlesbrough
97/98 · Transfer · €6.60m
Jul 1997
97/98 — Middlesbrough FC
52 matches · 15 G · 1 A · across 3 competitions
Jul 1996
96/97 — Arsenal FC
40 matches · 9 G · 11 A · across 4 competitions
Jul 1995
95/96 — Arsenal FC
47 matches · 5 G · 5 A · across 3 competitions
Jul 1994
94/95 — Arsenal FC
36 matches · 7 G · 10 A · across 4 competitions
Jul 1993
93/94 — Arsenal FC
49 matches · 12 G · 4 A · across 5 competitions
Jul 1992
92/93 — Arsenal FC
50 matches · 8 G · 11 A · across 3 competitions
Jul 1991
91/92 — Arsenal FC
51 matches · 13 G · 7 A · across 5 competitions
Jul 1990
90/91 — Arsenal FC
49 matches · 16 G · 3 A · across 3 competitions
Jul 1989
89/90 — Arsenal FC
36 matches · 7 G · 0 A · across 4 competitions
Jul 1988
88/89 — Arsenal FC
43 matches · 14 G · 0 A · across 3 competitions
Jul 1987
87/88 — Arsenal FC
15 matches · 5 G · 0 A · across 1 competition
May 1987
Transfer: Brentford → Arsenal
86/87 · Return from loan
Jan 1987
Transfer: Arsenal → Brentford
86/87 · Loan
Jul 1986
86/87 — Arsenal FC
7 matches · 3 G · 0 A · across 1 competition
Dec 1985
Transfer: Arsenal U18 → Arsenal
85/86 · Transfer
Jan 1970
Peak market value: €1.00m
Highest valuation recorded in dataset
Percentile rank vs 79 other Midfield - Right Midfields with ≥500 minutes in 99/00. Higher = better (except cards, where lower = better — inverted automatically).
Goals5 total · 1.01/90
Assists10 total · 2.02/90
G+A15 total · 3.03/90
Yellow cards2 total · 0.40/90
Minutes played by club
Aston Villa
18.4%
Middlesbrough FC
5.8%
Arsenal FC
57.5%
Walsall FC
16.0%
Portsmouth FC
2.3%
| Club | Seasons | First | Last | Matches | Goals | Assists | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aston Villa | 5 | 00/01 | 99/00 | 144 | 19 | 15 | 2,566 |
| Middlesbrough FC | 2 | 97/98 | 98/99 | 55 | 15 | 2 | 812 |
| Arsenal FC | 11 | 86/87 | 96/97 | 423 | 99 | 51 | 8,029 |
| Walsall FC | 3 | 03/04 | 05/06 | 82 | 8 | 23 | 2,229 |
| Portsmouth FC | 1 | 02/03 | 02/03 | 48 | 12 | 0 | 319 |
Career trajectory — goals, assists & market value
Goals by season
Assists by season
| Season | Competition | Club | Matches | Goals | Assists | YC | RC | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99/00 | FA Cup | Aston Villa | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 99/00 | League Cup | Aston Villa | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 99/00 | Premier League | Aston Villa | 32 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 445 |
| 98/99 | FA Cup | Aston Villa | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 98/99 | Premier League | Middlesbrough FC | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 98/99 | Premier League | Aston Villa | 26 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 378 |
| 97/98 | FA Cup | Middlesbrough FC | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 270 |
| 97/98 | First Division | Middlesbrough FC | 45 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 332 |
| 97/98 | League Cup | Middlesbrough FC | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 210 |
| 96/97 | FA Cup | Arsenal FC | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 96/97 | League Cup | Arsenal FC | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 253 |
| 96/97 | Premier League | Arsenal FC | 32 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 461 |
| 96/97 | UEFA Cup | Arsenal FC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 90 |
| 95/96 | FA Cup | Arsenal FC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 95/96 | League Cup | Arsenal FC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 95/96 | Premier League | Arsenal FC | 38 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 676 |
| 94/95 | Cup Winners' Cup | Arsenal FC | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 380 |
| 94/95 | League Cup | Arsenal FC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 180 |
| 94/95 | Premier League | Arsenal FC | 24 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 527 |
| 94/95 | UEFA Super Cup | Arsenal FC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 93/94 | Charity Shield | Arsenal FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 93/94 | Cup Winners' Cup | Arsenal FC | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 239 |
| 93/94 | FA Cup | Arsenal FC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 93/94 | League Cup | Arsenal FC | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 151 |
| 93/94 | Premier League | Arsenal FC | 33 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 318 |
| 92/93 | FA Cup | Arsenal FC | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 810 |
| 92/93 | League Cup | Arsenal FC | 9 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 801 |
| 92/93 | Premier League | Arsenal FC | 33 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 458 |
| 91/92 | Charity Shield | Arsenal FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 91/92 | European Cup | Arsenal FC | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 91/92 | FA Cup | Arsenal FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 91/92 | First Division (- 91/92) | Arsenal FC | 42 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 294 |
| 91/92 | League Cup | Arsenal FC | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 270 |
| 90/91 | FA Cup | Arsenal FC | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 675 |
| 90/91 | First Division (- 91/92) | Arsenal FC | 37 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 216 |
| 90/91 | Rumbelows Cup | Arsenal FC | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 180 |
| 89/90 | Charity Shield | Arsenal FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 89/90 | FA Cup | Arsenal FC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 89/90 | First Division (- 91/92) | Arsenal FC | 29 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 268 |
| 89/90 | League Cup | Arsenal FC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 88/89 | FA Cup | Arsenal FC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 90 |
| 88/89 | First Division (- 91/92) | Arsenal FC | 37 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 237 |
| 88/89 | League Cup | Arsenal FC | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 132 |
| 87/88 | First Division (- 91/92) | Arsenal FC | 15 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 158 |
| 86/87 | First Division (- 91/92) | Arsenal FC | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 165 |
| 05/06 | League Cup | Walsall FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 05/06 | League One | Walsall FC | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 04/05 | FA Cup | Walsall FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 04/05 | League Cup | Walsall FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 04/05 | League One | Walsall FC | 36 | 2 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 1,447 |
| 03/04 | First Division | Walsall FC | 34 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 692 |
| 03/04 | League Cup | Walsall FC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 90 |
| 02/03 | FA Cup | Portsmouth FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 02/03 | First Division | Portsmouth FC | 45 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 319 |
| 02/03 | League Cup | Portsmouth FC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 02/03 | UI Cup | Aston Villa | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 01/02 | FA Cup | Aston Villa | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 01/02 | Premier League | Aston Villa | 21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 790 |
| 01/02 | UI Cup | Aston Villa | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 392 |
| 00/01 | FA Cup | Aston Villa | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 00/01 | League Cup | Aston Villa | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 00/01 | Premier League | Aston Villa | 38 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 561 |
| 00/01 | UI Cup | Aston Villa | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Season | Date | From | To | Type | Market value | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85/86 | 1985-12-01 | Arsenal U18 | Arsenal | Transfer | 0 | — |
| 86/87 | 1987-01-22 | Arsenal | Brentford | Loan | 0 | — |
| 86/87 | 1987-05-31 | Brentford | Arsenal | Return from loan | 0 | — |
| 97/98 | 1997-07-07 | Arsenal | Middlesbrough | Transfer | 0 | €6.60m |
| 98/99 | 1998-09-08 | Middlesbrough | Aston Villa | Transfer | 0 | €6.75m |
| 02/03 | 2002-08-06 | Aston Villa | Portsmouth | Transfer | 0 | — |
| 03/04 | 2003-07-18 | Portsmouth | Walsall | Transfer | 0 | — |
| 05/06 | 2006-02-22 | Walsall | Tamworth | Transfer | 0 | — |
| 06/07 | 2006-03-09 | Tamworth | Career break | Transfer | 0 | — |
| 11/12 | 2012-03-28 | Career break | Welshpool | Transfer | 0 | — |
| 12/13 | 2012-07-01 | Welshpool | Career break | Transfer | 0 | — |
| 17/18 | 2017-10-11 | Career break | Caerau | Transfer | 0 | — |
| 17/18 | 2018-01-01 | Caerau | Career break | Transfer | 0 | — |
| 19/20 | 2019-12-12 | Career break | Hanworth Villa | Transfer | 0 | — |
| 19/20 | 2020-01-01 | Hanworth Villa | Retired | Transfer | 0 | — |
No recorded injuries.
Current—
Peak€1.00m
Low—
Δ since start−€600k
| Date | Value |
|---|---|
| Jan 1, 1970 | — |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €1.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €600k |
| Team | Shirt | Matches | Goals | Debut | Age at debut | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team #52786 | — | 4 | 3 | — | — | former national player |
| Team #9565 | — | 4 | 0 | — | — | former national player |
| Team #3299 | — | 21 | 3 | — | — | former national player |
| Teammate | PPG played with | Joint goals | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gareth Barry | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Single-season peaks across competitions in this player's career.
Top goalscoring seasons
| Season | Competition | Club | Goals | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90/91 | First Division (- 91/92) | Arsenal FC | 13 | 37 |
| 02/03 | First Division | Portsmouth FC | 12 | 45 |
| 91/92 | First Division (- 91/92) | Arsenal FC | 12 | 42 |
Top assist seasons
| Season | Competition | Club | Assists | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04/05 | League One | Walsall FC | 20 | 36 |
| 99/00 | Premier League | Aston Villa | 8 | 32 |
| 94/95 | Premier League | Arsenal FC | 7 | 24 |
Every loan spell across this player's career.
| Season | Date | From | To | Type | Fee | Value at transfer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 86/87 | 1987-05-31 | Brentford | Arsenal | Return from loan | — | — |
| 86/87 | 1987-01-22 | Arsenal | Brentford | Loan | — | — |
Teams faced most often by Paul Merson's clubs during seasons he played in those competitions (team-level results, not personal head-to-head goals — see disclaimer above).
| Opponent | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tottenham Hotspur | 34 | 15 | 11 | 8 | 47 | 35 | +12 | 44% |
| Manchester United | 34 | 8 | 6 | 20 | 27 | 53 | -26 | 24% |
| Newcastle United | 34 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 37 | 43 | -6 | 29% |
| Charlton Athletic | 34 | 15 | 10 | 9 | 51 | 38 | +13 | 44% |
| Liverpool FC | 34 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 36 | 44 | -8 | 29% |
| Chelsea FC | 34 | 8 | 12 | 14 | 32 | 46 | -14 | 24% |
| Everton FC | 34 | 12 | 8 | 14 | 48 | 44 | +4 | 35% |
| Southampton FC | 34 | 15 | 10 | 9 | 54 | 41 | +13 | 44% |
| Manchester City | 28 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 50 | 35 | +15 | 50% |
| Bolton Wanderers | 28 | 10 | 11 | 7 | 38 | 29 | +9 | 36% |
| Blackburn Rovers | 28 | 14 | 4 | 10 | 37 | 28 | +9 | 50% |
| Fulham FC | 28 | 16 | 6 | 6 | 48 | 28 | +20 | 57% |
Auto-detected milestones based on cumulative career totals.
| Season / Year | Milestone | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 00/01 | Senior debut season | |
| 00/01 | First senior goal | |
| 88/89 | Goal #50 (career) | |
| 93/94 | Goal #100 (career) | |
| 99/00 | Goal #150 (career) |
Yellow / second-yellow / red cards per season. Only seasons with at least one card are shown.
| Season | Matches | Mins | YC | 2nd YC | RC | Cards / 90′ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99/00 | 44 | 445 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 |
| 98/99 | 30 | 378 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.48 |
| 97/98 | 52 | 812 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.22 |
| 96/97 | 40 | 804 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.11 |
| 95/96 | 47 | 676 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.27 |
| 94/95 | 36 | 1,087 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.33 |
| 93/94 | 49 | 708 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.13 |
| 92/93 | 50 | 2,069 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.09 |
| 04/05 | 38 | 1,447 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.19 |
| 02/03 | 49 | 319 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1.13 |
| 00/01 | 45 | 561 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0.64 |
Output by competition
Career goals and assists broken down by tournament.
First Division (- 91/92)
167 apps
50 G
9 A
Premier League
280 apps
46 G
38 A
First Division
124 apps
28 G
2 A
Rumbelows Cup
56 apps
14 G
7 A
FA Cup
46 apps
5 G
7 A
Cup Winners' Cup
16 apps
5 G
6 A
League One
43 apps
2 G
21 A
UEFA Cup
2 apps
2 G
0 A
UI Cup
9 apps
1 G
0 A
European Cup
4 apps
0 G
1 A
More on Paul Merson
Explore this player's career through different angles.
Similar players
Same position, similar age, sorted by market value.
Frequently asked about Paul Merson
Who is Paul Merson?
Paul Merson is an England professional footballer who plays as a right midfield for Retired.
How old is Paul Merson?
Paul Merson is 58 years old. He was born on March 20, 1968 in Harlesden, London, England.
What position does Paul Merson play?
Paul Merson plays as a right midfield (Midfield - Right Midfield).
What club does Paul Merson play for?
Paul Merson currently plays for Retired.
How many career goals has Paul Merson scored?
Across all senior club competitions in our dataset, Paul Merson has scored 153 goals in 752 appearances.