How Not to Be a Professional Footballer

Good entertaining book.

As an Arsenal Supporter who saw Paul Merson make his debut, and watched live many of his performances, this book was always going to be of great interest to me. Although I already knew many of the facts about his turbulent personal life, reading the man himself recount them with brutal honesty was quite gripping.The title of this book says it all: this autobiography is not a sports one but really a tragic tale about a deeply flawed man who just happened to be a professional footballer. Merson's chronic addictions to gambling, alcohol and cocaine almost wrecked his career, and left him in poverty. And had he not sought and received professional help he, in his own words, would now be "six feet under".While reading this book it struck me that it would be very useful to any psychiatrist or councillor who specialises in treating addictions: Merson's honest descriptions of exactly how he was feeling as, again and again, he pushed the self-destruct button were deeply enlightening. His gambling addiction was so strong that an American councillor advised him to spend NINE MONTHS at a clinic in Arizona.This book also goes into great detail about Merson's football career, as he tells about the big games that he played in and his (sometimes very short) spells at different clubs right across England, from Middlesbrough to Portsmouth. However, the thing missing from this book is the information about his personal life. His two wives and (I think) four children barely get a mention. How he met them and how they felt about his out-of-control lifestyle are not covered in any depth.This book is a entertaining read which I found hard to put down. At the end of it you don't know whether to feel sorry for Merson or angry at him: he did have a successful career but it could have been so much better. And he should now be a rich man instead of a flat-broke ex-pro.

I followed Arsenal avidly back in the 90s and this took me back to special times. I'd forgotten just how special Arsenal were back then and the truly magnificent players that were a partn of it, Wright, Parkour, Dennis B, Rocastle, Adams, K Campbell, Dixon, Winterburn, Known and The Merse. Football was so different back then and Paul Merson takes you back there with his tales and anecdotes. I always knew he was a character and had trouble off the pitch but I had no idea to what extent.A brilliant read. I didn't want it to end.

This was the first book that I read from my newest order of Amazon books, and it's intersting, informative, IF YOU HAVE AN INTEREST IN THE SUBJECT MATTER.It's very much a tell-all book, and the writing style is conversational - you can imagine Paul Merson sitting there saying this into a recorder. Merse gets "paro" a lot, and tells a few tales. It's hardly shakespeare but easy to read 5-10 pages at a time and then put it downAs a long-time Gooner, it's a fascinating insight into what was going on with Arsenal players 20-25 years ago, and the Arsenal specific content is recommended for football fans who were watching pre-League football and can remember what it was like.Arsenal fans will think it's a good purchase and a solid read, while Boro, Villa and Walsall fans will be less impressed.

A rather annoying book to be honest. We all have our flaws and Merson appears to be almost proud of his behaviour. To be honest I started this book over a year ago, and then parked it about 90 pages in, as it was getting on my nerves. I then picked it up on Sunday and struggled through about 40 pages before he turned a corner of sorts and it got interesting again. I manged to complete the rest of the book in just over 24 hours. Loved him as a footballer at Arsenal, and on Skye, but he must be thinking what he might have became with a more professional attitude to the game. A waste of a talent (albeit he won loads).