Jul 8, 2014

View gallery   As with many of the big-name signings during the Riverside Revolution, Merson cited Bryan Robson as the main reason why he agreed to move north. Merse was a regular for Arsenal, who had just finished third in the Premier League, yet Robbo's convincing nature with an added temptation of a five-year contract was enough to tempt the dangerman to Boro - even if the striker did admit he wasn't too keen on the transfer initially. "I never wanted to move," Merson told the Evening Gazette after he signed on this day in 1997. "It was a bolt out of the blue when manager Arsene Wenger told me about Middlesbrough's offer. "I was convinced he would turn it down. It never occurred to me at any time that Arsenal would sell me. "   But £5m was enough for Arsenal to sell up. Just like Robson had recruited a talisman to help boost a Boro promotion back in 1995 with the loan signing of Uwe Fuchs - and then Jan Åge Fjørtoft - he had done it again with Merson. And the striker insisted that he was up for the challenge at the Riverside. "I can't wait for this new and major stage in my career to begin, and I'm committed to Boro's fight for promotion," said the England international. It took Merson four games to get off the mark, grabbing Boro's goal in a 1-1 draw at Stockport County in September of that year. And although he didn't find the net again until the end of October, he then scored four in three as Boro lost just once throughout the month. Paul Merson   Despite a star-studded team which later included Marco Branca and Paul Gascoigne, Boro missed out on the Divison One title but did just enough to pip rivals Sunderland into second place. Merson scored 12 times in the league for Boro and also hit the net at Anfield in the League Cup semi-final first leg before the Marco Branca show in the return leg as Boro returned to their second home at the time - Wembley. But his short yet successful stint at Boro came to a surprising end when Aston Villa came calling in 1998 with £6.75m. It may have been a short stay for Merson on Teesside but he certainly played his part in another memorable season. Read more entries from @UntypicalBoro's #OnThisBoroDay posts HERE . All the Gazette's Boro stories are HERE . >