Teenagers across the country are collecting their GCSE results today, with many hoping their hard work has paid off. Strong results can open doors to further education and careers, a universal experience that even the most illustrious Premier League footballers once faced.
As young people learn their grades, Mirror Football looks back at how top-flight stars, past and present, fared in their own exams.
Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard
Wayne Rooney left school without any qualifications, as he burst onto the scene for Everton just as he was supposed to sit his exams. He made his professional debut at 16, ending Arsenal's 30-game unbeaten run with his first Premier League goal. Rooney hit out at those who deemed him unintelligent, telling BBC Sport: "It's no secret that I didn't even take GCSEs but I think people assume because of that that I'm not educated, which is really wrong." He added: "I made a conscious effort when I was at Everton and Manchester United to educate myself in a lot of different things, such as black history and religion. The reason I did that was because I wanted to hold conversations with my team-mates who are from different backgrounds."
Steven Gerrard earned one C, six Ds and two Es in his GCSE exams. His former teacher at Huyton and Roby Primary School, Gillian Morgan, who also coached the school football team, said: "The thing I remember most about him was his ability as a leader on the field. I think he started playing for the school team when he was nine years old and even then Steven was always trying to help others."
Frank Lampard and Bukayo Saka
Frank Lampard attended the independent Brentwood School, the oldest in Essex, where he shared classes with boxing chief Eddie Hearn. The ex-Chelsea midfielder picked up 12 GCSEs at A* or A, including an A* in Latin. Lampard said: "I got an A* in Latin, more through application than talent for Latin, I would say. I don't know how I did it. In terms of application, I was quite a good boy at school."
Bukayo Saka balanced football with school commitments, earning four A*s and three As in his GCSEs. Speaking to the Arsenal website, he said: "My mum and dad always encouraged me. They never stopped me from playing football, they just wanted to see a balance and I was also interested in my education." He added: "I actually got quite good grades, so they were pleased on that side. I got four A*s and three As in my GCSEs, so I did quite well at school. My favourite lesson was obviously PE, but I also liked business studies a lot, I got an A* in that."
Harry Kane, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Maguire
Harry Kane passed all his GCSEs at Chingford Foundation School, where David Beckham also attended. Former head of PE Mark Leadon told the East London Guardian: "He was conscientious, behaved himself and was a good all-round sportsman. He never saw himself as a superstar, he just got on with it."
Trent Alexander-Arnold took GCSE science and maths exams early so he could be available for Liverpool training. In an interview with The Guardian in 2023, he recalled taking a maths exam in Bulgaria during an under-17s tournament: "Obviously, I don't think I've done less revision for anything in my life. Surely that can't be normal. Sacrifices like that shouldn't be happening. A pass was considered good enough. I was brought up to aim for Bs, minimum, for the other lads it was just getting passes so they could drop their subjects and free up time. Then in Year 11, the big year of secondary school, it all got chopped."
Harry Maguire left school with outstanding GCSE grades, including a number of A*s and As. His former deputy head teacher, Sue Cain, said he could have become a skilled accountant had football not been his main passion. She said: "Harry was such a modest lad. He had his head screwed on even at that age. He did everything you asked him to do and he never questioned why. He was popular, and he was huge."
