Paul Merson has admitted a gambling addiction drove him close to suicide.

The 35-year-old former England, Arsenal and Aston Villa midfielder has helped Portsmouth to the Nationwide Division One title this season.

However, as Portsmouth were booking their place in next season's Barclaycard Premiership, Merson booked in to an addiction unit in a bid to beat his habit.

Merson has been dogged by addiction problems throughout his career.

In the 1989-90 season at Arsenal, he was banned from Highbury for two weeks amid reports of drinking and gambling debts.

In November 1994, he confessed he had a cocaine habit. He entered an addiction unit and was released six weeks later on the condition he attended outpatient therapy and support groups.

The Football Association said cocaine was not his main problem - it was more drinking and gambling.

Now Merson has confessed he has kicked the drink and drugs problems but is still haunted by gambling.

"I've stayed away from drink and drugs but gambling has beat me, spanked me all over the place," he told the Mail on Sunday.

"This is one of the biggest killers in the world. Every day it would go through my head about committing suicide."

Last month Merson spent a week in Sporting Chance, the addiction unit set up by his former Arsenal team-mate Tony Adams.

He praised the supportive role played by Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp.

"The manager didn't know of my addiction but he was brilliant," said Merson.

"He let me go into the clinic from the Monday to Friday and I came out to play on the Saturday."