Former Aston Villa and Walsall midfielder Paul Merson to come out of retirement

The 49-year-old Sky Sports pundit has received international clearance to be available for the Welsh League Division Three clash with Pontyclun on Wednesday, October 18.

Caerau secretary Dai Hooper met Merson at a function several years ago and the two have kept in touch since.

"I texted him last week about the rearranged fixture with Pontyclun and he said 'I can make that'," said Hooper

"The international clearance has just come through this morning."

"I tried to text him (Merson) this morning, but he was busy at work. I have spoken to him and he is over the moon.

"Paul said he is having a little run out in a friendly game for someone to get himself a bit of fitness and is really looking forward to it."

Merson is well known to both Villa and Walsall fans having made more than 100 appearances at Villa Park between 1998 and 2002, helping the club reach the FA Cup final in 2000.

The playmaker then moved to Portsmouth before joining Walsall in the summer of 2003.

After just nine months as a player, he was thrust into the Saddlers' hotseat, replacing the departed Colin Lee.

But his spell as a manager proved a hard lesson as he suffered relegation to League One in the 2003/04 season.

After a 14th-place finish the following season they were battling to avoid the drop before his eventual sacking in 2006.

Hooper describes Merson as 'a superstar and a gentleman'.

When asked about Merson's match fitness, Hooper said: "He's looking OK on the box (TV)".

Caerau are 13th in their 16-team league after one win and four defeats so far in 2017/18, with Pontyclun two places above them.

It's not the first time Merson has played in the Welsh lower leagues after he turned out for Welshpool back in 2012 alongside fellow Sky Sports analyst Chris Kamara.