- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: Willow; New edition edition (4 Sep 2000)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0002188961
- ISBN-13: 978-0002188968
- Product Dimensions: 17.2 x 11 x 2.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
96,972 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #67 in Books > Sports, Hobbies & Games > Football > Reference
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Paul Merson’s honest and at times harrowing account of his recovery from gambling, drugs and alcohol abuse, starting with England’s 1998 World Cup campaign and his bitter departure from Middlesbrough, and ending with the conclusion of the 1999/2000 Premiership season.
Merson’s career reached its peak as he gained selection for Glenn Hoddle’s England squad for the 1998 World Cup. His insider’s view of the England camp makes fascinating reading: consoling an angry Gazza after his omission from the squad; the ribbing of Hoddle on the training ground; witnessing the dropping of David Beckham and the rise of Michael Owen – his partner on the pool table – and taking part in the epic match against Argentina, in which Merson scored a penalty.
On the domestic scene, Merson highlights his unique relationship with Gazza, the angst over his departure from Middlesbrough – what did Bryan Robson say to Merson on the day he left? – and provides an illuminating insight into his rollercoaster journey with Aston Villa, including forthright views on Stan Collymore and manager John Gregory.
In this updated edition of his book, Merson unravels the next chapter in his recovery from his addictions, including the bouts of depression during 1999/2000 when he almost went off the rails.
From the Back Cover
'Hero and Villain' is Paul Merson's honest and at times harrowing account of his recovery form gambling, drugs and alcohol abuse, starting with England's 1998 World Cup campaign followed by his bitter departure form Middlesbrough, and ending with the 1999/2000 Premiership season and his retirement from international football.
'His personal crisis brought to a head, in one complete package, all the social ills surrounding professional football'
THE MIRROR
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Merson's second volume of autobiography is in diary form but none the less readable for it. We find him still wrestling with the same problems, shuttle running from Alcoholics Anonymous to Naroctics Anonymous to Gamblers Anonymous between suffering a marriage breakup and fitting in the occasional bit of football with the Villa. No wonder he's the player most likely to burst into tears at a press conference; well, second to Gazza maybe. There's insight to be found here into the latter's problems, although team mate Stan Collymore seems to have left Merson rather cold by comparison. Football moves so fast that Merson and boss Gregory are both now long gone from Villa Park, but one hears in the papers that Paul is still suffering the occasional relapse into bad habits. One fears for what will become of him on retirement from Portsmouth. He wants a managerial or coaching position, which would potentially give him the goal he needs to channel his obsessive personality into, but what club is going to take a risk like that with his track record?
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Despite having the same co-author, Paul Merson's autobiography suffers both in format and in content in comparison with Tony Adams' Addicted.
The book is written as a diary, in which Merson moves from the World Cup to his spells at Middlesboro and Aston Villa. All three have the scent of failure attached to them, and there is very little allusion to his glory days at Highbury, days in which the seeds of his various addictions were sown. This makes for a rather drab backcloth to the essential subject of the book - Merson's tormented, desperate and not always successful struggle to break away from needing some kind of high to help him cope with life outside the confines of a training pitch or a football stadium.
There are many similarities between what he lives through and what happened to Tony Adams. Whether this experience is restricted to players coming through Arsenal's youth system in the 1980's I don't know, but a pattern emerges of the emptiness of the life of a dedicated footballer during the long periods of time off, be they mid-week or off-season. And for young men drilled with a will to win and nurtured on the highs of scoring, winning and beating others, the temptation to seek short-term thrills at the races or in the bottom of a bottle seems for some to be overpowering.
Merson's book also suffers in comparison because you sense that there is less depth of character in him than in Adams. There's a sense of passing from the autobiography of a man to that of a small boy, tearful, scared and suffering the rejection of his wife.
The book finishes in a kind of no-man's land as Villa finish the season with a dreadful run of form. I only hope for his sake that, after guiding Portsmouth to promotion this season, Merson is well back on the road to recovery, and that if he were to add another chapter or two to his book, we could trace the development of a more mature, confident and rounded person.
The book is written as a diary, in which Merson moves from the World Cup to his spells at Middlesboro and Aston Villa. All three have the scent of failure attached to them, and there is very little allusion to his glory days at Highbury, days in which the seeds of his various addictions were sown. This makes for a rather drab backcloth to the essential subject of the book - Merson's tormented, desperate and not always successful struggle to break away from needing some kind of high to help him cope with life outside the confines of a training pitch or a football stadium.
There are many similarities between what he lives through and what happened to Tony Adams. Whether this experience is restricted to players coming through Arsenal's youth system in the 1980's I don't know, but a pattern emerges of the emptiness of the life of a dedicated footballer during the long periods of time off, be they mid-week or off-season. And for young men drilled with a will to win and nurtured on the highs of scoring, winning and beating others, the temptation to seek short-term thrills at the races or in the bottom of a bottle seems for some to be overpowering.
Merson's book also suffers in comparison because you sense that there is less depth of character in him than in Adams. There's a sense of passing from the autobiography of a man to that of a small boy, tearful, scared and suffering the rejection of his wife.
The book finishes in a kind of no-man's land as Villa finish the season with a dreadful run of form. I only hope for his sake that, after guiding Portsmouth to promotion this season, Merson is well back on the road to recovery, and that if he were to add another chapter or two to his book, we could trace the development of a more mature, confident and rounded person.
Format:Paperback
Having just read Tony Adams "Addicted", I was interested to find out more about the Merse, of whom I am a big fan. I feel lucky that I don't have any addictions like Merse and Tony but to be honest while I can understand the physiology of substance abuse, I can't quite understand the compulsion of gambling and my inability to really empathise with the condition is not the fault of this book. The swiftness with which it hits him is frightening - one day, fine the next day there goes a couple of grand. How much worse is it for those without the huge income of the premiership - which is not to make light of the suffering of Merse and his family but it makes you think "There but for the grace of god..."
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Read it from cover-to-cover
Paul needs to dispose of his Editor. He incorrectly refers to Lea Marston Hotel & Leisure Complex in the book as 'Lea Marsden'. Read more
Published on 3 Sep 2008 by Helen McGregor
CLASS
This book was well addictive! Once i picked it up I couldnt put it down, its soo absorbing. Even if you arent a Villa fan, or even a football fan there's a very high chance you'll... Read more
Published on 6 Jan 2001
Mersons demons fully slayed in great book
The story about Paul Merson's many demons is certainly well documented but now fully behind him, however, the influencial Villa man has chosen to tell his side of a remarkable... Read more
Published on 31 Oct 2000
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