Eton College has produced 20 prime ministers in its 582-year history, from William Pitt the Elder to William Gladstone, Harold Macmillan and Boris Johnson.
Elite school students — including Princes William and Harry as old boys — often focus on careers in law or finance, if not politics.
But his deputy head, Basil Tuma, boldly goes where few Etonians have gone before – in the world of professional football.
The 17-year-old forward was selected by former England star Paul Ince to play for EFL Championship Club Tuesday reading.
With youth at his side and an exceptional pace, this is probably just the start of a long career in a game rarely associated with Eton’s studious atmosphere.
“He is shockingly fast. His acceleration over the first ten meters is phenomenal,” said coach Jono Santry, after watching Tuma play for the England Independent Schools under-18s team he trains earlier this year.
Deputy head, Basil Tuma, boldly goes where few Etonians have gone before – in the world of professional football
“He also likes the ball at his feet, and when he made a header, we all thought, flip, he can head the ball too!” added Santry.
Tuma failed to score on his debut for Reading in their EFL Cup game at Madejski Stadium. But he could certainly be pleased with his performance, said club manager Ince, who selected several youngsters for the match, which was 1-1 until visitors Stevenage scored a late winner.
“It was a good experience for the guys who played, I’m proud of them,” said Ince. “They’ve had a great experience with how good football is.”
The youngster also impressed Reading supporters. “Basil Tuma is fast,” one tweeted.
The youngster impressed Reading supporters when he was selected to play for the club
It was a common theme on social media.
The Etonian had clearly impressed the Reading boss this summer as Ince named him as a substitute for the club’s match against Cardiff City in the EFL Championship last weekend.
But soon, Tuma will return to classes at Eton to study for A-Levels in Theology, Modern History and Spanish, while hoping to continue his football dream.
Popular among his peers, he is president of the Eton Society, reserved for prefects, whose former members are Johnson and actors Eddie Redmayne and Tom Hiddleston.
Tuma – who earned 11 A* equivalents in his GCSEs last year in subjects such as English Literature, Physics and Latin – is also secretary of Eton’s Afro-Caribbean Society.
Born in Uganda, he moved to the UK when he was 11 and attended Dragon Prep School in Oxford before joining Eton in 2018.
Tuma – who has played football for Uganda at under-17 level – also excels in athletics. He ran 100 meters in 11.23 seconds and took bronze at the English School Championships in 2019.
The turning point for his move to professional football came in January with his stunning performance for England Independent Schools against Scotland.
Santry recalled, “That match was the game-changer. He was unreal that day.
‘The telephone and e-mail did not stop for days with brokers and clubs galore. I think he had just gone to Reading for a trial and even they realized something was about to happen.”
The playing fields of Eton are traditionally associated with cricket and rugby.
Eton College has produced 20 Prime Ministers in its 582-year history, from William Pitt the Elder to William Gladstone, Harold Macmillan and Boris Johnson
But in recent years, with the school’s drive to be more socially inclusive, football has been thriving.
Tuma isn’t the school’s only soccer prodigy. Tudor Mendel-Idowu plays for Chelsea under-18 and has represented England at under-17 level.
After finishing second in Channel 4’s Child Genius of the Year in 2014, Mendel-Idowu entered Eton with a King’s Scholarship.
Two other young Etonians have just signed to Arsenal’s academy, while Will Donkin, 21, played for the academy teams of Chelsea and Crystal Palace, and now plays for Mosta in Malta.