Sunderland footballer Duncan Watmore picks up first class degree at Newcastle Press Association – 24 minutes ago Share please log in to view this image View Photo Press Association - England under 21 and Sunderland forward Duncan Watmore has graduated with First Class Honours from Newcastle University An England under 21 footballer who became only the second player in the Premier League to graduate with first class honours has thanked his "awesome" club and tutors. Sunderland forward Duncan Watmore juggled intensive training sessions required to break into the first team with long hours of study in the evening poring over textbooks and catching up on lectures online. His parents Ian, former chief executive of the Football Association and an ex-senior civil servant in the Cabinet Office, and Georgina, a rector in Cheshire, proudly watched the graduation ceremony at Newcastle University. Club boss Sam Allardyce allowed him a day off training to collect his first in economics and business management. He started his degree at Manchester University when playing non-league football with Altrincham, but switched to Newcastle University after impressing Sunderland scouts. In recent weeks he has earned good reviews for his incisive, direct style of play, which has coincided with an upturn in Sunderland's fortunes. And last month he came off the bench for England under 21s to be man-of-the-match in a 3-1 win over Switzerland. After the graduation ceremony, he said: "It's a really nice feeling. It has been a lot of hard work in the past three years. It is good to get it done." His was not the usual student experience, with late night pizzas and evenings out sampling Newcastle's famous party scene. "You have to sacrifice a lot with football but that was something I was more than willing to do because football was my ultimate aim and the degree was something I just wanted to do in the evening to catch up at night. "It was not the typical student life, I missed out on a few things but I really enjoyed it. "It was hard. There were a lot of long nights in my flat just catching up, reading text books, going online for lectures, emailing lecturers. "It was hard at times but the club at Sunderland were awesome with me, and so were Newcastle University." Watmore said a typical day involved training and gym before he would go back to the flat where he lived alone around teatime to start his studies. "There are a lot worse jobs to combine a degree with than football, so I can't really complain," he said. Asked what his team-mates thought, he replied: "You get a bit of good-natured banter but they are class. I received a lot of support from them, which was really nice. "I didn't make too many course mates because I was never in to make them." Watmore, 21, who was released from Manchester United's academy when he was 12, said he feels strongly there are still opportunities for other players, like Premier League top scorer Jamie Vardy, to come up from non-league football. But he shies away from thinking of himself as a role-model for parents who want their children to study and make the grade in football. He said he will keep an interest in economics but has no plans to continue formal studies for a Masters. Instead he will fully concentrate on his game. "I'm just looking forward to playing as much as I can and if I play well I can do that." The top flight's only other star to gain a first-class degree was David Wetherall. He got a first in chemistry from Sheffield University in 1992 while on the books of Leeds United. Dr Francis Kiraly, undergraduate director of Newcastle University Business School, said: "Duncan was an excellent student from day one." Congratulations to the lad. An excellent achievement.
Well IMO he will never ever, in a non gay way, be one of our hunky players unless he gets his gnashers sorted
Really is an incredible achievement, hats off to the lad. Also makes you wonder just how quickly he can develop now he's free to focus 100% on football, given how well he progressed whilst splitting his time equally between that and his education.
He`s Doctor Watmore now but Professor Watmore sounds better still. He could end up an Idi Amin type as "His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Duncan Watmore Dada, VC, DSO, MC, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Seas and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular", The possibilities are endless.
Doctors. ****ing weird innit? They spend years at uni becoming a doctor so they can have Dr before their name. After that they spend several more years of study to become a Mr again when they specialize.
He's got a long way to go yet before he's a Doctor pops, but he'll definitely be greater than Old Idi
