No regrets for Merson

Paul Merson claimed he had no regrets after deciding to retire from playing this week.

The former England international opted to hang up his boots after a 20-year playing career following a brief spell with Nationwide Conference side Tamworth.

The 37-year-old made a single appearance for the Staffordshire club following his sacking as Walsall player-manager last month.

Despite well-publicised problems with alcohol, drugs and gambling, Merson had a distinguished playing career, which included 98 goals in an 11-and-a-half year stint with Arsenal.

He also enjoyed spells at Middlesbrough, Aston Villa and Portsmouth before joining Walsall in the summer of 2003.

Merson then became manager of The Saddlers in April 2004, but was unable to keep the Black Country club in the division now known as The Championship in season 2003/04.

The former playmaker felt it was best to call it a day, claiming time and age had got the better of him.

"I've had a good career, there's no question," Merson told Sky Sports News. "I just can't play at that standard anymore.

"It's difficult - too many young kids running past me and taking the ball off me, so it's time now.

"Ten-year-old kids are watching you play with their dads and their dads are saying, 'He's a good player, he's a good player'.

"By the end of the game, the kid is probably looking at his dad and going 'Have you got a clue Dad, or what? He can't even play' - I don't want to finish like that.

"At Grays (Athletic) last week, people were saying when I was a sub, 'Are you going to come on? We've come to watch you.'

"Things like that make you think, 'Well, I don't want to embarrass myself in front of people anymore' and that's the case. I have to move on now and think of something else to do.

"I have a lot of memories, a lot of things to look back on in football, but it just goes so quickly.

"If you could just get hold of a young kid and say to him, 'Make the most of it' because when you are a kid, you think you're going to play forever.

"I was with Teddy Sheringham yesterday and he looks fit still, he's worked hard and he's a credit to football.

"Me - I'm two years younger - it's just caught up with me."

Merson was delighted to have the chance of playing for Arsenal and England during his career.

"When you're a kid, you dream of scoring in a cup final at Wembley," he said.

"I've scored a goal in the Coca-Cola Cup in the final at Wembley and to play for England at Wembley and score, I'd done that.

"It is them kind of things when you are playing in the park with your mates and you are kicking balls around that you pretend you're in Wembley or in a World Cup and I was lucky to experience them kind of things.

"I'd never moan, and I played for one of the biggest teams in the world in my eyes."