Football pundit Paul Merson has sent a heartfelt message to the England squad currently in the United States for the World Cup, following a worrying health scare of his own. The 58-year-old former Arsenal star, who appeared on Strictly Come Dancing two years ago alongside professional dancer Karen Hauer, opened up about his melanoma diagnosis during a candid television appearance.
Paul was first diagnosed with skin cancer back in 2012 after delaying a hospital visit, a revelation he shared with hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls on Good Morning Britain during Tuesday's programme (June 16). Susanna informed viewers that Paul 'blames his own laziness,' before adding: 'He's now urging others not to make the same mistake and telling the whole England team to slap on the sun cream when they go out and play at the World Cup.'
Ed remarked: 'I bet, when you were playing on the hottest day of the year at Highbury or whatever, I bet you never put sun cream on, ever.' Paul agreed, admitting he would frequently burn and rarely bothered applying sun cream throughout his playing days, reports Wales Online.
He went on to say: 'It's strange really because it was on my back, which, even when I used to go sunbathing, I'd never lie on my front and get my back done, it was just by walking around. I had a mole on my back. It just kept on getting worse. I was on holiday with my kids, playing golf, and I sat down for a break. When we got up, I had a white t-shirt on, and one of my boys went, "Oh, you must've leaned on something." It had bled through. I got home, and I still didn't do anything about it. I don't know if it was a man thing or I was scared.'
Paul eventually contacted his doctor and explained he needed his mole examined, which his GP had previously advised him to do. After having it removed, Paul received a phone call informing him he had melanoma cancer and required urgent attention. He told the ITV presenters that he received 50 stitches and subsequently had to undergo two scans annually for the following five years.
Paul continued: 'I had a check-up twice a year, which was scary really. Going twice a year, going in and having your scan, then the next day going in for the results, and you're always going in with that fear, "has it come back?" That was horrible.'
He went on to explain that melanoma was preventable through wearing sunscreen, while praising World Cup footballer Dan Burn, who is championing awareness around applying sun protection. With his Instagram bio now reading 'Dan Won't Burn', the star has highlighted the importance of protecting skin from all angles, particularly the back of the neck.
Dan Burn spoke up as he seeks to help raise awareness, saying: 'As a defender, I know how important it is to cover every angle, but I'll admit the back of my neck isn't always part of my game plan. It's an easy area to miss, but one that's vulnerable to sun damage.'
Good Morning Britain is available to watch weekdays on ITV from 6am.
