Paul Merson enjoyed a very successful spell at Middlesbrough in the late 1990s.
As Middlesbrough enters the 2024/25 Championship season many Boro fans are once again dreaming of reaching the promised land of the Premier League.
To do so, Michael Carrick’s side must replicate a feat only a few Boro sides have achieved over the years.
Boro fans will look back on past promotion campaigns with hope and optimism as they look to recreate the success of campaigns such as the 1997/98 promotion season, which saw Bryan Robson lead Middlesbrough back to the Premier League.
Guiding the Teessiders to a second-place finish, Robson had a deeply-talented squad at his disposal, with the likes of Paul Gascoigne, Mark Schwarzer and Andy Townsend all playing a part in Middlesbrough’s promotion and League Cup run.
There was one player however who stood out the most, with his dazzling displays wowing fans on Teesside – that player, of course, is none other than Paul Merson.
Paul Merson’s Middlesbrough career
Following a disagreement over wage demands, Paul Merson left Arsenal to join relegated Middlesbrough in 1997.
Joining for a fee of £4.5m, Merson was tasked with firing the Boro back to the Premier League.
Fifteen goals and a whole host of MOTM displays, Merson’s impact was huge, to say the least as the Boro secured promotion back to the Premier League at the first of asking.
The former Gunners star also played a key role in Middlesbrough’s surprise run to the League Cup final, in which they were eventually beaten 2-0 by Ruud Gullit’s Chelsea.
Merson’s time on Teesside however would be short-lived, leaving the Boro at the start of the 1998/99 season to join Aston Villa siting homesickness as his reason.
Why did Paul Merson join Middlesbrough?
An England and Arsenal regular at the time, the footballing world was shocked when Paul Merson dropped down to Championship join Middlesbrough.
Even Middlesbrough players themselves were reportedly surprised to see the England international join, with Merson admitting Boro star Clayton Blackmore asked him “What the f*** are you signing for us for?”, during a 2021 BBC documentary ‘Paul Merson: Football, Gambling & Me’.
Merson has since opened up as to why he moved North in an exclusive 2023 interview with the Express – telling readers problems in his personal life encouraged him to move to Teesside.
“My addictions played a part (in the move) — greed. You know I got offered a lot of money to go to Middlesbrough.
“I just couldn’t get my head around Arsenal offering me £130,000 a year to stay, and Middlesborough offering me £1million a year.
“And I couldn’t get my head around that I was going to lose £32,000 a month in wages if I stayed at Arsenal, and that is exactly how a gambler thinks.
“And that’s what it was. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my time at Middlesbrough when I went there. I was the fittest I had ever been under Arsene Wenger, I loved it — though I loved any time at Arsenal — but when I look back my addictions were my problem.”