Football pundit Paul Merson has sent a message to the England squad currently in America for the World Cup, following his own personal health scare. The 58-year-old former Arsenal midfielder, who appeared on Strictly Come Dancing two years ago alongside professional dancer Karen Hauer, opened up about his melanoma cancer diagnosis.
Paul Merson's Cancer Diagnosis
Paul was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2012 after putting off a hospital visit, which he discussed with Susanna Reid and Ed Balls on Good Morning Britain during Tuesday's programme (June 16). Susanna told viewers that Paul 'blames his own laziness,' as she added: '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 commented: '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 used to burn and rarely applied sun cream, reports Wales Online.
He added: '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.'
Treatment and Recovery
Paul eventually contacted his doctor and explained he needed his mole examined, something his doctor had previously advised him to do. Following its removal, Paul received a call informing him he had melanoma cancer and required immediate attention. He told the ITV presenters that he had 50 stitches before undergoing two scans annually over the subsequent five years.
Paul went on to say: '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.'
Sun Safety Message
He then highlighted that melanoma was preventable through the use of sunscreen, while praising World Cup football star Dan Burn, who is championing awareness of applying sunscreen. With his Instagram bio now reading 'Dan Won't Burn', the star has spoken about the importance of covering every angle to shield skin from damage, particularly the back of the neck.
Dan Burn spoke out as he seeks to 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.
