Former Arsenal star and reformed gambling addict Paul Merson has revealed how EPL managerial legend Harry Redknapp once helped him out of a gambling-related jam.
wad of notes to pay someone off”
On Monday, The Mirror cited Merson’s gambling testimony after the ex-Gunner made his Strictly Come Dancing debut over the weekend. Merson was recalling an event in 2003 when he was a Portsmouth player under Redknapp and had in his possession a “wad of notes to pay someone off.”
The notes were £30,000 ($39,600) in cash the ex-England midfielder had brought with him on a road game to the mean south London streets of Bermondsey against Millwall FC. Because the doors to the Portsmouth locker room at The Den wouldn’t lock, it fell to manager Redknapp to look after his player’s valuables.
As cited by The Guardian, the ex-West Ham Manager was expected to look after a valuable watch, but Merson instead handed him a stack of cash he was going to use to repay a gambling debt.
Redknapp is said to have been non-plussed after he was handed the cash, stuffing it down his “big, baggy tracksuit bottoms.” Knowing his money was safe, Merson scored and “got a standing ovation from Millwall fans” for a performance he termed his best ever, helping Portsmouth to a 5-0 win.
The new face on the Strictly roster is outspoken about his gambling addiction. He has estimated that a 30-year struggle with the addiction, along with alcohol and cocaine abuse, cost him millions, his sanity, and two marriages.
Merson, 56, placed his first bet aged 16.