Paul Merson was left blushing as Soccer Saturday made its return to our screens, with Simon Thomas playfully bestowing upon him a charming moniker. As the Sky Sports show commenced for the Premier League's inaugural weekend, Merson found himself in the company of Thomas, Sue Smith, Clinton Morrison, and Mike Dean.
However, it wasn't long before the conversation veered towards the ex-Arsenal ace's recent venture into the world of dance with BBC's Strictly Come Dancing. Thomas affectionately referred to Merson as "twinkle toes" prompting an eruption of giggles in the studio, while a sheepish Merson turned a shade of crimson.
The moment took a comical turn when footage of Merson weaving through opponents and netting goals from his glory days played out on screen, all set to the iconic Strictly jingle. Post-clip, as chuckles continued to resonate, Thomas quipped: "There is literally no sign of a dancer there at all Mers. How are you feeling? This - in terms of being outside your comfort zone, this is a big one isn't it?" Merson admitted candidly: "Yeah, very much so. I don't worry about something until it comes along."
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Thomas probed further: "How far away we?" to which Paul replied with a hint of reluctance: "Middle of September. I don't worry about stuff that's out of my control at the moment. So yeah I don't worry about that, I'm more worried about sitting next to Clinton [Morrison] for the next two hours."
Adding to Merson's embarrassment, Thomas scrutinised the ex-footballer's trendy look on Soccer Saturday, asking: "Today, there's a bit of a sheen to the top, and you look in great shape. Are you practicing already?" Merson, appearing reluctant to discuss his next challenge, curtly replied: "Nah, I'm just looking after myself."
Switching his banter towards Morrison, Thomas smiled: "Clinton, I just get the feeling that there's a little bit of guttedness in you that you weren't asked?" to which the former Coventry City ace shot back: "I'll be honest with you, I wouldn't do that show."
Amidst the group's cries of "lies", Morrison stood firm: "They asked me to go in the jungle and I said no, so what are you talking about?" Referee Dean then jumped in with light-hearted enthusiasm: "I'd have a go for a laugh. Why not? It's just good fun isn't it?" while Kris Boyd joked: "I bet you would do it all in your black kit as well with your whistle in your mouth." Dean hit back with a hint of irony: "And what's wrong with that?" before sharply retorting: "You'd wear your kilt."
The BBC recently confirmed Merson is set to strut his stuff on the 2024 series of Strictly Come Dancing. Chatting to the Beeb about this exciting venture, Merson said: "Joining Strictly is a whole new ball game for me, but I'm going to tackle this challenge head-on.
"I'm ready to swap the pitch for the Ballroom floor, so here's hoping my two left feet can learn some moves and you never know, maybe I'll be taking home the Glitterball Trophy!"
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