How Premier League icons did in their GCSEs: Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, Harry Kane and more

Teenagers across the country will be keeping their fingers crossed as they collect their GCSE results today. The anticipation is palpable as students prepare to tear open those fateful envelopes, hoping their hard work and late-night revision sessions have paid off.

For many, strong GCSE results lay down a clear path of promise, opening doors to further education and dream careers. It's also a universal experience as even the richest and most illustrious Premier League footballers of all time once grappled with the fear and anxiety of receiving their results.

As young people across the country learn their grades today, Mirror Football takes a look back at how those in the top flight, both past and present, fared in their own exams.

The Manchester United idol would be the first to admit that he left school without any qualifications, owing to the fact that he burst onto the scene for Everton just as he was supposed to be sitting his exams.

He made his professional debut for the Toffees at just 16, ending Arsenal's 30-game unbeaten run with his first Premier League goal.

However, he has hit out at people who deemed him to be unintelligent. He told 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.

"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."

Rooney's fellow Liverpudlian, Gerrard, also spent the majority of his energy on the pitch. The ex-England star earned one C, six Ds and two Es in his GCSE exams.

However, when it came to leadership, he showed excellent traits from a very young age. That’s according to his former teacher at Huyton and Roby Primary School, Gillian Morgan, who also coached their school football team.

She 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."

The Coventry City manager went to the oldest school in Essex, the independent Brentwood School, where he shared classes with the likes of boxing chief Eddie Hearn.

The ex-Chelsea midfielder picked up 12 GCSEs at A* or A, including an A* in Latin. In a past interview, 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."

Arsenal and England winger successfully balanced his football with his school commitments and his dedication shows.

Speaking about his time at school with the Arsenal website: "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.