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How footballers fared in their GCSEs from Wayne Rooney to Bukayo Saka and Harry Kane

With millions of students collecting their GCSE results today, Mirror Sport takes a look at how some of England's greatest footballers got on in their studies - with some doing better than others

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Mirror Sport have rounded up some of England's greatest football players and how they fared in their GCSEs

Teenagers in the UK are gearing up to collect their GCSE results this Thursday. While nailing top grades can feel like a do-or-die moment at 16, success stories abound of individuals who didn't shine academically at school but still made it big.

A swift Google search shows numerous celebs who bombed their crucial exams yet still scaled dizzying heights of success. Take Sir Richard Branson for example - despite reportedly performing poorly in secondary education, he launched the behemoth Virgin and boasts a net worth of a cool $3billion (2.3billion).

And let's not forget the pop mogul Simon Cowell, whose academic achievements reportedly stopped at two O Levels before he called time on his schooling days.

Being a brainbox comparable to Einstein or Hawking isn't a prerequisite for triumph. Numerous Premier League footballers have carved out stellar careers with little academic success, relying instead on exceptional athletic prowess, reports the Express.

Mirror Sport offers an insight into how some of England's most famed footballers fared in their GCSEs.

Wayne Rooney

[Wayne Rooney]

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Wayne Rooney enjoyed a sharp rise in football as a teenager(Image: Mercury Press)

After Manchester United's thrilling 3-2 victory over Hull City in 2017, Wayne Rooney didn't shy away from discussing his own academic record on X (previously known as Twitter). "Have to say our fans tonight was unbelievable," he posted, spurring one follower to query, "Does Rooney have any GCSEs seriously?"

The Red Devils legend had a quick-witted response to his critics, replying: "No I don't" accompanied by a pair of cool sunglasses emojis. Despite hiring a tutor in 2007 to help him with English and maths GCSEs, it was on the football pitch where Rooney truly excelled.

He made his professional debut for Everton at just 16, ending Arsenal's 30-game unbeaten run with his first Premier League goal. Rooney went on to secure five league titles with Manchester United, along with an FA Cup, a Europa League and a Champions League trophy. He remains the third-highest goal scorer in Premier League history with 208 goals, surpassed only by Alan Shearer and Harry Kane.

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Steven Gerrard

[Steven Gerrard]

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The ex-Liverpool and England captain struggled at school(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)

Steven Gerrard also had academic struggles - earning a C, six Ds and two Es in his exams. However, this didn't deter him from becoming Liverpool's captain and a Champions League winner.

His former teacher, Gillian Morgan, recalled: "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."

Gerrard was scouted by Liverpool's youth academy at just nine years old, signing his first professional contract with the club in 1998. He went on to become one of the Premier League's most celebrated and respected players.

Frank Lampard

[Frank Lampard ]

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The Chelsea legend was a brainiac at school where he bagged 12 GCSEs(Image: Mirror Syndication International)

Steven Gerrard's 'golden generation' midfield partner, Frank Lampard, was a high achiever at school, bagging 12 GCSEs at A or A* at Brentwood School in Essex, including an impressive grade in Latin. Reflecting on his academic prowess, Lampard revealed: "In terms of application, I was quite a good boy at school.

"I wanted to do well, I wanted to please my teachers and my parents back home, and Latin was one I think I probably just crammed in a lot of revision at the right time and managed to get an A*, which everyone is so surprised about."

Adding to his list of achievements, Lampard took an IQ test while playing for Chelsea, where he scored over 150 - a score above 140 is considered genius level. His footballing IQ was equally impressive, with three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, and a Champions League win under his belt.

Harry Maguire

[Harry Maguire]

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The Manchester United defender was an academic success (Image: Internet Unknown)

Harry Maguire is another English footballing star that excelled academically, securing a collection of As and A*s at GCSE level. His former deputy headteacher, Sue Cain, praised him saying: "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. Even at a young age he was very tall but he has filled out since then too. He towered over the other teams. He got A* and A grades in his GCSEs. I think he would have gone on to study business or maths and probably would have been an accountant. He was very capable academically."

After school, Maguire signed a professional football contract with Sheffield United before moving on to Hull City, Leicester City and Manchester United, where he continues to play, now 31 years old. Internationally, Maguire has earned 63 caps for England and was a key player in the Euro 2020 squad that reached the final against Italy, sadly losing in a heartbreaking penalty shootout.

Harry Kane

[Harry Kane David Beckham Academy ]

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The Bayern Munich sharpshooter was described as a 'model student' (Image: getty)

Harry Kane was described as a "model student" by his former head of PE, Mark Leaden from Chingford Foundation School. Speaking to the East London Guardian, he said: "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. One of the things that stand out now at Tottenham is his work ethic. He was exactly the same here and always gave 100 per cent."

While Leaden didn't disclose what GCSE's Kane achieved, he confirmed that Kane passed all of his exams. Arguably one of England's most gifted strikers ever, the Bayern Munich striker currently holds the record for the most goals scored for his country, with an impressive 66 goals in 98 appearances.

He also ranks second in the Premier League's all-time top goalscorers list with 213 goals, only surpassed by Alan Shearer's record of 260.

Marcus Rashford

[Rashford stayed on at school to do his A Levels]

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Marcus Rashford achieved nine GCSEs at school

Marcus Rashford, a recent icon for Manchester United and admired for his off-pitch charity work, left school with nine GCSEs before continuing to study for his A Levels. He was still in school when he signed his first professional contract with the Red Devils, and reportedly continued his studies as his career began to skyrocket.

Despite not yet having a Premier League title under his belt, Rashford was awarded an MBE in the 2020 Birthday Honours for his campaign against child food poverty. He has also been involved in campaigns related to Universal Credit and literacy.

Bukayo Saka

[Euros hero Saka said he always had an interest in education]

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The Arsenal hero was as impressive in school as he is on the pitch

It wasn't that long ago when Bukayo Saka was collecting his own GCSE grades, celebrating that memorable day with four A*s and three As. In a previous post on Arsenal's official website, the 22-year-old shared how his parents were incredibly supportive of his football dreams while also encouraging him to keep up with his studies.

The Gunners hero opened up about his upbringing, revealing the strong support he received from his parents. "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. 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." The winger, who has been instrumental in Arsenal's recent title challenges, came tantalisingly close to clinching the Premier League crown last season.

Despite being edged out by Manchester City by five points in the 2022/23 season, Arteta's squad, bolstered by Saka's impressive tally of 16 goals and nine assists in 35 games, closed in on the champions, finishing just two points adrift in the latest campaign.

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