Pals backing X Factor hopeful Liam Payne

X Factor finalist Liam Payne's bid for stardom is being backed all the way by his former schoolfriends - just as he would have done for them, they say.

Pupils at St Peter's Collegiate School in Wolverhampton all agree that the talented teenager is a "top lad".

And one of his most appealing traits in the classroom was spurring on others to achieve.

The 17-year-old rising star, who excelled at drama and sport, could always be counted on to help out a friend.

Sixth-formers Aimee Potter, Mark Jackson, Michael Coates and John Carpenter shared lessons with the singer - now part of boyband One Direction — for for five years.

John, 17, from Gornal, who with Liam represented the West Midlands at running, says: "He was really competitive. He gave everything but he would encourage others to achieve with him. You'd hear him shouting; 'Come on, we can do it. His personality made him stand out."

Michael, 18, from Penn, was in the choir with Liam, now a music technology student at Wolverhampton College, and the pair also entered a school talent contest together in Year 9, singing R.Kelly's If I Could Turn Back The Hands Of Time.

After Liam's 2008 appearance on X-Factor, when he failed to get through to the live finals, he took Michael and another schoolpal, Sam Dugmore, to see eventual runners up JLS when they played at Oceana in Wolverhampton.

He says: "We went to their hotel, the Britannia. Liam told them we used to sing together and he got me to sing the R. Kelly song. I couldn't believe I was singing to JLS."

Michael added: "I always thought he would be successful because he's so confident." Fellow choir member Aimee, 17, from Finchfield, added: "No one knew he could sing until Year 8 or 9 but then word quickly spread around the school."