Two school pals who play football together a lot before getting down to their GCSE studies have notched up 19 A* grades and seven As between them.

Ikram Hussain and Kabirul Choudhury are among hundreds of pupils in London’s East End getting their results today at Tower Hamlets secondary schools, most of which have bucked the national downturn with improved results at around 80 per cent passes in A* to C top grades.

The two who became close friends at Bethnal Green’s Morpeth Secondary got their results this-morning, though Ikram admits he could do better.

He got 10 A*s and three As, including maths, all three sciences and psychology.

“I expected more high grades, but didn’t really study all the time,” he revealed. “I phoned my parents and they told me not to be too hard on myself.

“I used to go out a lot with my mates before study. But for A-levels I’m going to have to change that and knuckle down more.

“You have to push yourself. I want to go on to university to study medicine.”

His best friend Kabirul, both from Bethnal Green, managed nine A*s and four As while leaving his revision to the last minute.

He recalls doing his revision “in between seeing my mates and playing football”.

Kabirul added: “It was all at the last minute. But it’s important you have ther highest aspirations in life if you want to get anywhere.”

Kabirul hopes to get to Oxford or Cambridge.

Both want to be doctors and promise themselves to put more time into their A-levels next term—and less into football.