Arsenal legend Paul Merson admits he was too scared to join Rangers

Former striker reveals offers from Walter Smith but didn’t want to annoy Gunners boss George Graham

Paul Merson scored 99 goals in 425 appearances for Arsenal. Picture: Ben Radford/Allsport/Getty Images

Paul Merson has revealed he missed out on the opportunity to sign for Rangers
because he was too fearful of the 
reaction from George Graham if he had requested to leave Arsenal.

The former England forward says he was made aware on several occasions during the 1990s that Rangers manager Walter Smith wanted him to join the already star-studded Ibrox squad.

But Merson, idolised by the Arsenal supporters during an 11-year spell with the club which saw him score 99 goals in 425 appearances and win every major domestic trophy, couldn’t stomach the prospect of asking Gunners’ disciplinarian boss Graham to let him go.

“The opportunity to join Rangers came up a lot,” says Merson. “They were always in for me. Walter Smith was the manager. I was playing for Arsenal at that time and I would have probably gone.

“But it’s just that back then, when you are younger, your agent will say to put in a transfer and you can go. But I didn’t have the balls to do that.

“If I’d put in a transfer request, I’d have been terrified of George Graham and I would have sat in the reserves for four months. Leeds United were also in for me a lot. Howard Wilkinson was the manager there at that time.

“But that was a successful Rangers team. It would have suited me. Anderlecht also came in for me [earlier] when I was 17. That really turned my head. They were massive at the time, a top European team.”

Merson, speaking to former Scotland internationals Kris Boyd and Robert Snodgrass in the latest edition of The Lockdown Tactics podcast, is now best known as a pundit and a regular member of the Sky Soccer Saturday panel.

There is not a universally high opinion of the standard of Scottish football among the English media but Merson insists Celtic’s current run of nine consecutive title wins merits greater appreciation south of the border.

“I watch Scottish football and the standard can be decent,” he says. “And then I watch it another time and there are some bad mistakes.

“But I really have respect for Celtic, being able to win nine titles on the trot. People will say they are not playing against anybody most weeks but that’s disrespectful.

“They are playing against teams every week [for whom] it’s their cup final against Celtic. Teams want to beat Celtic so badly, that’s for sure.

“The Celtic players need to be on it every week and that’s what I admire. It’s phenomenal how they do it.

“I watched Rangers wipe the floor with Celtic before the winter break when they won at Celtic Park. They played them off the park. It was embarrassing and it was like Rangers were going to go on and win the league by 15 points.

“Then Celtic went on a run of ten or 11 games and Rangers are losing against teams lower down the league. That’s what I mean about having to turn up every single week.

“I don’t think Celtic are much better than Rangers but what they’ve got is that they turn up every week knowing what to do. Celtic treat every game like a cup final. Rangers need to get that.

“Celtic and Rangers are massive football clubs. When I was playing, you wanted Rangers or Celtic to play in your testimonial game. Both would bring 20,000 supporters to the game.

“Would I want to see them straight in at the English Premier League? It’s a hard one. Leeds United are a big football club and they’d ask ‘why can Celtic
and Rangers come straight in and we are not in the Premier League?’.

“But if they were prepared to start at League Two and work their way through the leagues, then I’d love to see that. I’m sure both clubs would be able to get through the leagues, no problem.”

Merson, whose battles with gambling addiction and depression have been well documented, is supportive of the work being done by The Lockdown Tactics in highlighting mental health issues.

“You are not a bad person, you just need help,” he says. “You need to talk to someone and don’t beat yourself up. Whether you have addictions or mental health issues, don’t be scared to talk to someone. It becomes much easier when you open up and share your feelings.

“I’ve had my problems with so many things and I used to find it hard to be happy. I’d be in Florida on holiday with my family, the best place in the world you can be with your children, and I just couldn’t be happy.

“I used to look at other families there, being together and having fun, and I used to think ‘why can’t I be like them, why can’t I be happy?’

“But I am learning to appreciate things and cope with life. Just last week at the house I put up a barbeque and also a dolls’ house for my little girl, Sienna. I’d never done that in my life, yet I’m now 52. That is just normal things for dads and families to do. I got an unbelievable high from that.”

The Lockdown 
Tactics is a brand new podcast, hosted by former Scotland stars Robert Snodgrass and Kris Boyd. Every week TLT will interview big names with the core focus being on mental health and well-being. It’s chosen charity partner is The Kris Boyd Charity.

To watch the full interview with Paul Merson, go to YouTube and the various TLT social platforms. It will be available from 4pm today.

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