Paul Merson stated he ‘hated’ himself after joining Middlesbrough, claiming he did so solely for financial reasons.

The offensive midfielder had worked his way up at Arsenal, where he helped the team win two First Division titles, an FA Cup, a League Cup, and the European Cup Winners’ Cup.

Furthermore, Merson had represented England, thus Middlesbrough’s convincing him to descend to the second tier in 1997 was viewed as a huge coup and a statement of purpose from the Teesside club.

Paul Merson outlines the motivation behind leaving Arsenal for Middlesbrough.

While things were changing at Arsenal with Arsène Wenger’s arrival, it was a huge surprise to see Merson leave for Boro, who were led by Bryan Robson.

And, speaking on The Overlap, Merson stated that, while the opportunity to work with the England icon was appealing, the main motivation for the transfer was financial, due to his current personal condition.

“To be honest, at Middlesbrough, the draw was the money.” I was far into my addiction at the time, and it was greed. Bryan Robson was a part of it (which is why he joined), but it was all about greed, and I despised myself deeply.

“Every club I went to after that, I took a pay cut.” I took a pay reduction because I despised myself so badly. When I was a kid, we had Match of the Day and The Big Match with Brian Moore on Saturdays, which was a London derby or something, and I used to watch it with my father and think I want to be a football player. I don’t want five toilets and four bathtubs; I want to be a football player.

“I had no idea they had been paid, and then I became so selfish that I went for money. I just despised myself, but I ended up loving Middlesbrough; what a town. “The people up there live for football.”

Merson was a standout player for Middlesbrough, despite joining the club for the wrong reasons.

Merson was always going to be in the spotlight due to the high-profile nature of the transfer, but he accepted the burden of leading Boro back to the Premier League.

With Robson in control and Steve Gibson investing heavily in the club, it was an exciting period for Boro, who eventually finished second to win automatic promotion.

So it was a wonderful season, and Merson was instrumental in their accomplishment, scoring 12 goals and generating other notable moments along the road.

Unfortunately for Boro, Merson’s tenure at the Riverside Stadium was brief, as he moved Aston Villa shortly into the next season, with the club profiting from the £4.5 million they paid.

Finally, many people will appreciate Merson’s candor here, and despite his personal troubles, he was always entertaining and gave his all for Middlesbrough, so his role in the promotion will not be forgotten.