Let’s hope they can play football better than they can spell

England’s hopefuls may need to go back to the classroom after being put to the test by Bukayo Saka

ENGLAND’S stars will tonight meet a France team featuring the fearsome striker Kylian Mbappe as they battle for a place in the World Cup semi-finals.

Yet Gareth Southgate’s players may have already faced their greatest test: Bukayo Saka’s Spelling School.

Viral videos show the young winger ambushing his teammates with spelling tests ahead of this evening’s match.

Saka, who achieved four A*s and three As in his GCSES, challenged his colleagues to spell words including embarrassed, aesthetic and rhythm.

However, England supporters will be hoping that the team enjoys greater success on the pitch than in Saka’s mock classroom. Every player failed to spell their word correctly, apart from Saka himself.

England players have been posting regularly on social media as they prepare for matches at their beachside camp in Al Wakra in southern Doha. Gareth Southgate has been praised for allowing his players to express themselves and interact with fans after previous managers were accused of shutting players away from the outside world.

In his first video, Saka ambushed James Maddison, asking the 26-year-old midfielder to spell aesthetic.

Maddison confidently replied with A-E-S-T-E-T-H-I-C, and was met by Saka gleefully shouting “Wrong!”. Saka, 21, then turned to Jack Grealish, asking the England forward to spell ‘rhythm’.

Grealish replied ‘R-H-Y-M-T-H’ before looking confused as Saka laughingly pointed out his mistake.

Saka then turned his attention to Declan Rice, who was challenged at the dinner table with other teammates sitting nearby. “I’m ready brother!” Rice said. Saka replies: “I need you to spell me ‘pronunciation’.” Rice hesitated and replied, “P-R-O-N-O… Ah I’m doing it too slow!”

Marcus Rashford was next, with Saka asking the young striker to spell ‘embarrassed’. Smiling, Rashford replied with ‘E-M-B-A-R-A-S-S-E-D”.

Mason Mount failed to spell ‘occasionally’, getting only as far as ‘O-C-A’ before being cut off by laughing teammates.

Trent Alexander-arnold was next, telling Saka: “I’m confident, let’s go. I know how to spell.” But when asked to spell ‘entrepreneur’, the full-back replied “E-N-T-R-E-N….” before a laughing

‘I’m not giving them an easy time... Now I’ve even got a few players saying, come on and test me’

Saka cut him off . The only player to answer correctly was Saka himself, when James Maddison turned the tables and asked the young winger to spell ‘nauseous’.

Asked about “Saka’s Spelling School” during an official England team video, Saka said: “I’m not giving them an easy time. You don’t see before, how confident they are. Now I’ve even got a few players saying, come on and test me.”

Saka, who has scored three goals at the World Cup so far, achieved his excellent GCSE results six months before his Arsenal debut in 2018.

His former teachers at Greenford High School in Ealing, West London, have spoken of his academic prowess.

Mark Harvey, his former PE teacher, said: “In the last year of doing GCSES, Bukayo was out of school with Arsenal quite a bit, but he was brilliant.

“He knuckled down, got really good grades and came out with flying colours. In terms of a sportsman: superb. In terms of a student: role model.”

Saka has previously spoken of the strong influence of his parents, who emigrated to London from Nigeria. Writing about his time at school for 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 that 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.”