Ex-England, Arsenal, Middlesbrough and Aston Villa midfielder Paul Merson opens up on his gambling addiction ahead of new documentary

The former Middlesbrough, Arsenal and Aston Villa midfielder has had a career-long battle with addiction, from alcohol and drug abuse to what the 53-year-old describes as ‘the most destructive’ in gambling.

The Sky Sports pundit has featured a number of times in television series such as ‘Harry’s Heroes’ where he has opened up on his demons but in a new film ‘Paul Merson: Football, Gambling & Me’ set to air on the BBC, he dives deeper into the issues that have plagued his life and seeks to understand where his compulsion for the illness comes from, why footballers may be more at risk than others and what may need to be done by the Government in order to help those struggling.

During a career which spanned over two decades in the professional game, Merson was often considered one of the most gifted players to have played the game.

The midfielder’s mercurial talents made him a fan favourite at Arsenal, where he spent 12 years of his career and broke into the England team.

But Merson’s struggles have never been far away, first opening up on his problems with the Gunners where he underwent a rehabilitation programme with the FA.

Football dressing rooms were, of course, much different in the 1990’s not least with the booze culture surrounding players.

But amidst his troubles, Merson left Arsenal and signed for Boro in 1997 for around £4.5m – earning a significant increase to his wages in the process.

The addictions followed Merson to the Riverside however and despite scoring 16 times in 58 appearances he moved to Villa just 14 months later where the midfielder cited the habits within the Boro dressing room could see him falling back into bad habits if he remained on Teesside.

"Looking back now, it's not the money lost that you regret," he told the BBC in a candid interview.

"I've been a millionaire and wanted to kill myself. It's the time you've lost. I've got eight kids that I love very dearly.

"I've been addicted to alcohol and cocaine, but by far the most destructive and the only one I'm still struggling with today is gambling.

"The scary thing is you know there's only one outcome, but you can't stop.

"All through my life, I've never had that off switch," he adds.

"There's no greater buzz in the whole wide world than scoring a goal. But when I came off the pitch, the difference between me and other people was I needed that buzz to continue.”

While Merson’s climax at the Riverside was unsavoury, there can be no denying the talents the 53-year-old possessed on a football pitch.

But the former midfielder’s journey to tackle an addiction which has engulfed so much of his life is maybe even more prestigious than that of a gifted playing career.

"It's been important for me to be able to see myself as a sick person trying to get well, rather than a terrible person trying to get good,” he said.

"If one person watches it and says 'I need help' that would be a major success story for me. I wouldn't wish this on anybody."

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