Paul Merson was born in Harlesden in March 1968.
He made his debut for Arsenal in 1986, and in a 12-year stint at Highbury he won the First Division twice, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup. He also won 21 caps for England.
Merson went on to play for Middlesbrough, Aston Villa and Portsmouth, as well as Walsall - where he was also manager.
Following retirement in 2006, Merson has become a high-profile football pundit for Sky Sports. He is a long-serving member of the team on Soccer Saturday, the iconic results show, and also writes a regular column for the Daily Star newspaper.
