Paul Merson still loves Portsmouth. Credit: Sky Sports News.
Paul Merson still loves Portsmouth. Credit: Sky Sports News.
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Paul Merson hails 'unbelievable' Portsmouth fans

Dan Godfrey
Dan Godfrey

Dan is a sports writer and broadcaster, who wrote for Breaking Media Limited's club sites including Pompey News between May 2024 and May 2025. Graduating from the University of Huddersfield in 2018 with First Class Honours in Sports Journalism, Dan has worked with several EFL clubs, as well as with BBC Radio, talkSPORT and TNT Sports. He previously resided in Sydney, Australia, where he continued his career as a freelancer in various sports. Dan was born and raised in Portsmouth, comes from a Pompey-supporting family, and was in attendance at both of the club's FA Cup finals in 2008 and 2010.

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Paul Merson hailed Portsmouth's "unbelievable fans" and says he will never forget his debut for the club.

Merson posted about his time at the club on X, having spent a sole year with Pompey during the promotion season of 2002-03, in which Harry Redknapp's side reached the Premier League for the first time.

A veteran by this point, arriving at Fratton Park at the age of 34, Merson wowed the faithful with his classy attacking midfield performances, which yielded 12 league goals before his switch to Walsall the following summer.

He has also been vocal during TV appearances for his remaining fondness for the Blues.

"Loved my time at Pompey!", Merson shared on his X account [13 December].

"Unbelievable fans, will never forget my debut."

Paul Merson proud of Portsmouth stint

Merson's instrumental impact in the champions campaign of 2002-03 is never forgotten by Portsmouth fans, a club whom the man himself still regularly mentions.

For a player decorated with over 400 appearances for Arsenal, a regular for Aston Villa and Middlesbrough and an England international to reminisce so fondly on a 12-month spell at Fratton in his twilight years shows the warm mark the club left upon his career.

Merson was also classy in the way he left the club, covering his own final season of his two-year contract to move closer to his home in the Midlands, having admitted the rigours of the Premier League were beyond him at that stage.

Pompey would go on to remain in the top flight for seven years, lifting the FA Cup in the process under Redknapp in his second spell in 2008 - consequently featuring in the UEFA Cup for the first time with some wonderful memories to boot.

And as for the South Coast rivalry, Merson has never been shy in revealing where his loyalties lie.

In other Portsmouth news, Ian Darke discusses the curious case of Conor Shaughnessy's injury absence.

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