Paul Merson is an Arsenal legend and did some wonderful things during his time playing for the Gunners. The Englishman spent the first 12 years of his career playing for the team and won a handful of trophies, including two league titles and an FA Cup for his troubles. He made 423 appearances in total for the club and scored 99 goals in the process.
He's beloved by the Arsenal faithful, so, when quizzed about the best English footballers of all-time, no one would expect him to do the unthinkable and name someone who played for the club's greatest rivals, Tottenham Hotspur. That's exactly what he did, though, in a move that's sure to upset some Gunners fans.
Merson Named Paul Gascoigne the Greatest English Player Ever
The former midfielder spent a large chunk of his career with Spurs
Over the course of his career, Merson played with some incredible Englishman, both in the national team and at club level. One man stood out among them all, though, and it was Paul Gascoigne. The former midfielder spent time at Tottenham, Arsenal's biggest rivals, but that wasn't enough to deter Merson from naming him the greatest English player ever. He was a maverick, a character unlike any other that's been seen in football before or since he hung up his boots.
He was capable of doing things no one else could when he had the ball at his feet and Merson was a big fan of Gascoigne. During an interview with FourFourTwo, the former Arsenal man was tasked with putting together an XI of his greatest teammates ever and when it came to the midfield, he selected the now 57-year-old. He went one more than just naming him as one of his best teammates, though. He described him as the greatest English player ever.
Speaking to FourFourTwo about Gascoigne, Merson said:
"The best English footballer I’ve ever seen. To have played with Gazza, as I did for England and Middlesbrough, was to really know how amazing he was. The things he could do with a football would just make you smile. He was my housemate at Boro and it got a bit mad. He was coming to the end of his career then, but his skills were still mental."
During his time in the England national team, Gascoigne played 57 times and scored 10 goals for the Three Lions, but his impact stretched beyond just finding the back of the net. He also had nine assists with the national team and at club level, he was just as good if not better. He's regarded as one of the best footballers to never win the Premier League title and while issues at the end of his career slowed him down, there's no denying how special Gascoigne was and how justified Merson is in his opinion.