Wayne Rooney Addresses Tom Brady's Criticism Of His Football Work Ethic

Add as a preferred source on Google

Wayne Rooney has responded to criticism from Birmingham City's minority owner, Tom Brady, regarding his work ethic. Brady, a legendary NFL figure, acquired a 3.3% stake in Birmingham in 2023 through Knighthead Capital Management's takeover. During their first season under new ownership, the club faced relegation from the Championship, with Rooney experiencing a challenging three-month stint as manager.

Rooney took charge when Birmingham was in the play-off positions after John Eustace's unexpected dismissal. However, he departed with the team in 20th place after just 83 days. His tenure saw a win rate of only 13% over 15 matches, with two victories and four draws. Gianfranco Zola is the only permanent manager with a worse record at Birmingham in Championship history.

The release of an Amazon documentary titled "Built in Birmingham: Brady and the Blues" has reignited interest in Rooney's time at the club. In the documentary, Brady expressed disappointment with Rooney's work ethic during a visit to the training ground. On his BBC podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show, Rooney addressed these comments as unfair.

"I think Tom came in once, which was the day before a game where the days are a little bit lighter anyway, and I don't think he really understood football that well," said Rooney. "But what he does understand is...he's a hard worker, we know that."

Despite past challenges, Birmingham City is now among the favourites for Premier League promotion this season. They began their league campaign with a 1-1 draw against Ipswich Town and secured a 2-1 victory over Sheffield United in the EFL Cup. Gustavo Hamer scored an impressive goal from halfway during that match.

Rooney holds no grudges against Brady and respects him greatly as an athlete. "Listen, I respect Tom Brady massively. He's one of the greatest if not the greatest athlete of all time," Rooney stated. He also acknowledged that Birmingham seems to be on track now by making necessary player changes.

Upcoming Matches for Birmingham City

Birmingham will face Blackburn Rovers for their second Championship match on Saturday and host Port Vale in the EFL Cup's second round. Meanwhile, Brady continues to inspire players by delivering pre-match talks as seen in another scene from the documentary.