Source:
http://self.gutenberg.org/articles/eng/Joe_Mercer
Joe Mercer, a left-half, first played for
Ellesmere Port Town. He was a powerful tackler and good at anticipating an opponent's moves. He joined
Everton in September 1932 at the age of 18 and claimed a regular first team place in the 1935–36 season. Mercer made 186 appearances for Everton, scoring two goals and a winning a
League Championship medal in the 1938–39 season. While playing for Everton he gained five
England caps between 1938 and 1939.
Like many players of his generation, Mercer lost out on seven seasons of football due to the
Second World War. He became a sergeant-major and played in 26 wartime internationals, many of them as captain.
The Everton manager Theo Kelly accused Mercer of not trying in an international against Scotland, but in reality Mercer had sustained a severe cartilage injury. Even after consulting an orthopaedic specialist, the Everton management refused to believe him and Mercer had to pay for the surgery himself. During the war Mercer guested for
Chester City, making his debut in a 4–1 win over
Halifax Town in September 1942.[2]
Mercer moved in late 1946 for £9,000 (
2010: £291,000) to
Arsenal, commuting from
Liverpool; Theo Kelly brought Mercer's boots to the transfer negotiations to prevent Mercer having a reason to go back to say goodbye to the other players at Everton.[3] He made his Arsenal debut against
Bolton Wanderers on 30 November 1946 and soon after joining Arsenal, Mercer became club captain. As captain, he led Arsenal through their period of success in the late 1940s and early 1950s, helping to haul his side from the lower end of the table to win a League Championship title in
1947–48.
