Tom Brady gets Lyndon Dykes fired up for Scotland resurgence as NFL legend 'more than just a face' at Birmingham
Dykes says Brady has been a presence around Birmingham City and is 'more than just a face' at the club
Lyndon Dykes has revealed how NFL legend Tom Brady can help him return fit and firing for Scotland when World Cup qualifying kicks off.
The Birmingham City striker's domestic season ended on February 22 with a calf injury against Reading.
Dykes was desperate to work his way back via Scotland's June friendlies. But he's missed out on the action against Iceland and Liechtenstein and will need to wait until autumn to join up with Steve Clarke 's squad.
Dykes insists he'll have the best of care for that bid thanks to a seven-time Super Bowl winner.
Brady is a shareholder in the Blues as well as a minority owner with NFL franchise Las Vegas Raiders.
The former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback is heavily engaged in improving the sports performance side at City. And Dykes said: 'It's great having someone like that who has been so successful in his own sport.
'He does pop in and out and I've met him a couple of times. He brings a different mentality and knowledge to certain things.
'He's got a lot of input, he's not just a face. He's around the place and he's got ideas about what he wants.
'Some of the stuff they've brought to the club has been really good, like the medical department. He's brought a different outlook to the physio room, with his own head of medicine and the way they try to do things so that there are fewer injuries.
'He's very inspirational. Going forward, I feel it's going to be very successful with him and the owners there, Tom Wagner and the Knighthead group.
'I actually do like the Raiders but I didn't really have an NFL team as such. Hopefully he can get me on an NFL pitch because I think I could be all right at that as well! I'd have to put a bit more muscle on because some of those boys are massive.'
Dykes is targeting a fresh scoring streak for Scotland after going 13 games without netting. The Aussie-born ace hit goals in four consecutive games in 2022 World Cup qualifying.
He scored as Scotland edged 1-0 wins over Moldova, Austria and the Faroe Islands as well as in the 3-2 thriller against Israel at Hampden.
Scotland were beaten by Ukraine at the semi-final play-off stage to miss out on the Qatar finals. The 2026 renewal, hosted by USA, Canada and Mexico, is now firmly in the 29-year-old's sights.
Dykes said: 'The best feeling in the world is scoring goals. I went on a great run last World Cup qualifying, scoring big goals when we needed it.
'That's what I aim to do again but it's not always about scoring goals. I just want to play my part for the team. As long as we're winning and performing, that's the main thing. I've been stuck on nine goals for a little bit now so I'm desperate to hit double figures.
'I told John McGinn a while ago that I was catching him but he's starting to slip away, so I need to pull my finger out and make sure I score a few more.
'The World Cup is the aim. I was lucky enough to play in the first Euros we qualified for. When I joined up with Scotland at first, that was one of my major goals and the World Cup was another.
'We've got the opportunity to do that now. I've got full belief in my team-mates, myself and the whole of this nation that we can qualify for the World Cup. I'm sure if we did, it would be amazing for the whole country.'
Dykes has suffered much worse than an injury ruling him out of action for four months. A bout of pneumonia landed him on a drip in hospital in a terrifying health scare for the big striker and his family in January 2023.
That frightening episode gives him valuable perspective when dealing with fitness issues in his career. 'It builds your character and makes you stronger in the long run,' added the ex-Livingston and QPR hitman.
'That's why I've switched my brain to think positives out of some things, such as going out to the Euros last summer and just being around the boys and doing a bit of TV work.
'Even though I was devastated not playing, this is football. It's been my most difficult season with injuries so far in my career.
'Obviously getting injured before the Euros was very disappointing. And the back end of this season, being injured for a while has obviously has been tough. I'm feeling good now.'
Dykes scored five goals for Birmingham as they romped to the League One title and reached the EFL Trophy Final.
A stunning late Dykes header against Bradford secured a Wembley place for ex-Celtic coach Chris Davies and his team.
They lost to Peterborough in the showpiece but, over the long term, the Blues were miles clear of the rest.
Dykes said: 'Obviously I didn't want to go down to League One but the way the club are building and what they're trying to do for the future is something that appealed to me. This season was a step backwards but it was two steps forward as well.'
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