Former England international and current Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has been arrested on suspicion of drunk-driving after crashing his Mercedes 4x4 into a military truck just after 3:30 am on Wednesday.

"I fell asleep. I banged my head on the windscreen and the car is a write-off. I'm very lucky to have survived," Merson told the Daily Mirror, which reported he was driving 70 mph.

A photograph of Merson, who also played for Arsenal, was published in the Daily Mirror and showed him with bloodstains on his shirt and butterfly stitches covering a gash over his left eye.

Merson has written of his years of problems with alcohol, gambling and drugs. He claims to have lost more than $10 million on bets.