The football stars who got A grades at school - including Harry Maguire and Bukayo Saka
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While footballers are certainly prone to the odd intellectual gaffe - who can forget David Beckham saying: 'I want Brooklyn to be christened, but don't know into what religion yet'? - but apparently there are far more brainboxes plying their trade in the Premier League than you might think.
![[Four A*s and three As: Arsenal's Bukayo Saka scored just as well in his GCSEs as he does on the pitch at Emirates]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/22/13/94388387-14313103-image-a-3_1737552831842.jpg)
New research by a Swedish University suggests that the long-standing stereotype that footballers aren't smart is a myth. As reported in The Times, a study led by Predrag Petrovic, of the Karolinska Institute in Solna, found that actually just because you have a mercurial touch on the pitch, it doesn't mean you can't do advanced math.
![[Shot-stopper Mary Earps has a 2:1 in Information Management and Business Studies from Loughborough University]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/22/14/94388389-14313103-image-a-4_1737557906569.jpg)
After putting cognitive tests in front of 200 professional footballers in Sweden and Brazil, the research found that in fact, those who make a living out of kicking a ball are likely to be cleverer than many of the rest of us. Said Petrovic: 'Maybe some of them are not as schooled but you absolutely cannot dismiss their brains.'.
![[Lioness Leah Williamson, who plays for Arsenal, has continued her accountancy studies in case she needs something to 'fall back on'. Pictured at the Gucci fashion show in London in May 2024]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/22/15/86779835-14313103-The_Milton_Keynes_born_midfielder_who_plays_for_Arsenal_has_cont-a-6_1737558450435.jpg)
The study's co-author, Leonardo Bonetti from Oxford University, said that the quick decisions made on the pitch on a Saturday afternoon showed players were masters of problem-solving. Mr Bonnetti said: 'When you want to dribble, you need to see very quickly what the defensive player is doing and be faster. If you are a midfielder, you need to plan properly, see the right path, anticipate how defensive players move, then take a decision to calibrate a pass.'.
