• [Daily Mirror Icon]
• Sport
• Other Sports
• Paul Merson

Paul Merson laps up new NFL punditry gig as Arsenal legend handed important role

Sky Sports pundit and Arsenal was a surprise analyst for their NFL coverage on Thanksgiving Thursday's game with the Detroit Lions facing the Chicago Bears in the first of three games

[Paul Merson made a surprise appearance on the NFL's coverage of the Thanksgiving Thursday games]

View 2 Images

Paul Merson made a surprise appearance on the NFL's coverage of the Thanksgiving Thursday games

Paul Merson surprisingly appeared on Sky Sports' NFL coverage on Thursday while cutting turkey on Thanksgiving Day as is tradition.

The Arsenal legend and Sky Sports football analyst has long been a fan of the NFL, discussing his love for the sport on many occasions but had never appeared on channel's NFL coverage. But during the first of three games set to be shown on the channel on Thursday, Merson made an appearance for the first two hours before being the man to cut the Turkey.

The tradition has long been one on Sky Sports' channel, previously cut by former host Kevin Cadle before his passing in 2017, with Neil Reynolds now hosting the show alongside former NFL star Jason Bell with numerous co-hosts appearing throughout the season.

But Merson was the one to carve turkey for the hosts before discussing his love for the NFL and naming the team he supports.

Speaking on a short-form video on Sky Sports' accounts, Merson made a joke at Tottenham Hotspurs' and the New York Jets' expense. He said: "Sometimes I do know how Tottenham fans feel, being a Jets fan. I have been into the NFL since the start really, for more than 20 years.

"I used to go and watch the Jets a lot, they are my team. It's not been great the last 13 years, but hopefully next season it might change... like I thought it would this season!"

[Merson explained his love for the NFL, while admitting he's a New York Jets fan]

View 2 Images

Merson explained his love for the NFL, while admitting he's a New York Jets fan

Merson had left the show at half-time of the first game, with him joking that they could not afford his salary and to keep him throughout the rest of the schedule ahead. However, the former Arsenal star left with a smile on his face before admitting he'd enjoyed being on the show and would like to make a further appearance in the future.

The 56-year-old was on a video posted to Sky Sports' NFL pages in September when speaking with fellow host Jason Bell before he appeared on Strictly Come Dancing. Bell himself had previously appeared on the show, giving tips to Merson before heading in - where he lasted through week five of the competition before losing in a dance-off.

Want to watch more live sports? Peacock has your favorite sports, shows, and more all in one place. Peacock offers plans starting at $7.99 so you can stream live sports like NFL, Premier League, and Big Ten Football.

[Daily Mirror Icon]

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.