Former England star Paul Merson has admitted that he never shared a room with a 'bad roommate' at the World Cup, mainly because he was the problem. Speaking exclusively to the Daily Star Sport, thanks to Immersive Gamebox, Merson revealed that he 'never went to bed' during the 1998 World Cup, staying up all night to watch sports and gamble.
Merson's Roommate Confession
Merson, who played 21 times for England between 1991 and 1998, shared a suite with Tony Adams during the 1998 World Cup in France. However, he acknowledged that others might have considered him a difficult roommate. 'No, I didn't as it goes. No, I shared a World Cup with Tony Adams. We sort of... we sort of had a single room but apartment sort of things they were in a hotel complex. So, no, I never... I was fortunate. I think some, some people would say I was a bad roommate,' Merson said.
'I always watched sports, always gambling, so I never went to bed, so yeah. So a lot of times I was on my own,' he added.
England's World Cup Prospects
Looking ahead to England's last-16 clash against Mexico at the Estadio Azteca, Merson discussed the challenges of heat and humidity. 'I wasn't very bullish at the start. I thought the heat, I thought this and that. I've been screaming out for us to play like a Premier League team, you know, that bang bang, quick. Because if we play at that tempo, I don't think teams will live with us,' he said.
Merson praised manager Thomas Tuchel, saying, 'I like Tuchel. I like him. I like what he said to the players as well, what you're hearing from them. And he's got five unbelievable substitutes that can come on and not weaken the team. Yeah, and I think that's the big advantage.'
Sunburn and Humidity Concerns
England players had already faced sunburn issues early in their North American camp. Merson advised, 'First of all, they shouldn't be getting sunburned. That shouldn't be happening. There's a lot of people get burned on their neck more than anywhere else, so sunscreen, absolutely sunscreen.' He added, 'Probably not the heat, I would probably say the humidity is the one. We have hot days here now in England the way the climate's changed. So, it's the humidity that gets you, and that's the thing. The players have just got to be careful because sometimes when you don't think it's that hot and it's cloudy, it's still hot in America, very hot.'
Father's Day at Immersive Gamebox
Merson spent Father's Day with his 11-year-old son Freddie at Immersive Gamebox, taking on the new Football Arcade experience. The attraction recreates tournament football for teams of two to six players, with a $10,000 grand prize on offer.
