| David Mercer | |
| Fullname: | David William Mercer[1] |
| Birth Date: | 20 March 1893 |
| Birth Place: | St Helens, England |
| Death Place: | Newton Abbot, England |
| Position: | Outside right |
| Years1: | –1911 |
| Clubs1: | Prescot Athletic |
| Years2: | 1911–1913 |
| Clubs2: | St Helens Town |
| Years3: | 1913–1914 |
| Clubs3: | Skelmersdale United |
| Years4: | 1914–1920 |
| Clubs4: | Hull City |
| Caps4: | 91 |
| Goals4: | 26 |
| Years5: | 1920–1928 |
| Clubs5: | Sheffield United |
| Caps5: | 223 |
| Goals5: | 22 |
| Years6: | 1928 |
| Clubs6: | Prescot Cables |
| Years7: | 1928–1929 |
| Clubs7: | Shirebrook |
| Years8: | 1929–1930 |
| Clubs8: | Torquay United |
| Caps8: | 28 |
| Goals8: | 0 |
| Years9: | 1930 |
| Clubs9: | Dartmouth United |
| Totalcaps: | 342 |
| Totalgoals: | 48 |
| Nationalyears1: | 1922–1923 |
| Nationalteam1: | England |
| Nationalcaps1: | 2 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 1 |
| Nationalyears2: | 1924 |
| Nationalteam2: | Football League XI |
| Nationalcaps2: | 1 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 0 |
David William Mercer (20 March 1893 – 1 June 1950) was an English professional footballer who made over 220 appearances in the Football League for Sheffield United as an outside right. He also played league football for Hull City and Torquay United and won two caps for England.
After beginning his career in non-League football with Prescot Athletic, St Helens Town and Skelmersdale United,[2] Mercer joined Second Division club Hull City for a £40 fee on 22 January 1914.[3] He made 91 league appearances and scored 26 goals for the club before moving to First Division Sheffield United on 13 December 1920, for a British record transfer fee of £4,500. He made 241 appearances and scored 22 goals for the Bramall Lane club and won the 1924–25 FA Cup, before leaving in 1928. Aside from a spell with Torquay United during the 1929–30 season, Mercer played the remainder of his career in non-League football.
Mercer represented the Football League XI and won two caps for England, scoring once, in a 6–1 victory over Belgium on 19 March 1923.[4]
Mercer was the older brother of fellow footballer Arthur Mercer and the pair briefly played together at Sheffield United, while his other brother Richard was an amateur footballer.[5] David's son, also named David, also became a professional footballer. In 1911, Mercer was working in a coal mine and in 1939 he was working as a golf club groundsman.
| Season | League | FA Cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Hull City | 1913–14[6] | Second Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1914–15[7] | Second Division | 38 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 43 | 4 | ||
| 1919–20 | Second Division | 41 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 17 | ||
| 1920–21 | Second Division | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 5 | ||
| Total | 91 | 26 | 6 | 0 | 97 | 26 | |||
| Torquay United | 1929–30[8] | Third Division South | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 0 | |
| Career total | 119 | 26 | 7 | 0 | 126 | 26 | |||
Sheffield United