Wayne Rooney hits back at Tom Brady's ‘work ethic' comment, questions Birmingham City owner's awareness: ‘Not the NFL'

Hindustan Times

2 days ago

Former England and Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has fired back after finding himself at the wrong end of some fiery comments directed his way by American NFL great Tom Brady, who recently took over as owner of Birmingham City FC, the club at which Rooney was acting as coach two seasons ago. Wayne Rooney and Tom Brady have shared a few sharp words following a release of an Amazon Prime docuseries on Birmingham City FC.
Speaking on his podcast The Wayne Rooney Show, the English star explained how Brady's questioning of his work ethic and demeanor while in charge of Birmingham stung and felt 'unfair'.
"I think it was a very unfair comment. When I went into Birmingham, they were in a mess really,' explained Rooney, who has had a tough history in terms of his managerial career after trying to make the switch from his playing days. 'Hence the fact that, the players weren't really the players who could take the club forward.'
'Don't think he really understood football…'
Rooney's tenure at Birmingham in the 23/24 season coincided with Brady's onboarding as part-owner and chairperson, a season which was covered in Amazon Prime docuseries 'Brady & The Blues: Birmingham City'. However, it was an unhappy year for the team, as they were relegated from the EFL Championship and into the third division of English football.
In the docuseries, Brady and his business manager Ben Rawitz had commented on Rooney, questioning his work ethic and describing him as 'lackadaisical'. However, for a player considered to be one of the most determined and committed to come through the England systems in its long history, the comments didn't go down well for Rooney.
"We knew that and Tom [came in] the day before a game, where the day is a little bit light anyway, and I don't think he really understood football that well at the time, maybe he does now…' explained the 39-year-old.
'Football is not NFL…'
Rooney also explained that the disconnect stemmed from how the NFL lifestyle sees players go at 110% throughout the season, which isn't a realistic option in the much longer, more taxing world of football.
"But what he does understand is, he's a hard worker, we know that, so that's why I'm really disappointed with the comment. Because football is not NFL - NFL works for 3 months a year, players do need rest as well, so I think he was very unfair the way he's come out and portrayed that,' said Rooney.
Rooney would be the first to admit that his coaching experience has been disastrous, first being relegated with Derby County following a massive points deduction, before overseeing much of Birmingham's relegation season, and then joining Plymouth Argyle only to part ways halfway through the season with the Pilgrims in last place.
Nevertheless, despite not having cracked it at any level as a manager, Rooney remains one of England's finest players in history, both in terms of talent and his dedication to the sport, explaining why the Birmingham owner's comments chafed in such a manner.