Wayne Rooney hits back at Tom Brady: He doesn't understand football

Times

a day ago

Wayne Rooney has hit back at Tom Brady, saying the NFL legend 'does not understand football' in response to critical comments the Birmingham City minority owner made in a new documentary series.
In one scene of Built in Birmingham: Brady & the Blues, an Amazon Prime series following the club and featuring Rooney's time as manager, Brady says he is 'a little worried about our head coach's work ethic' after a visit to the training ground. Brady also suggested that some of the players were 'lazy and entitled'.
Rooney was appointed by Birmingham City in October 2023 and sacked less than three months later after only 15 games in charge.
On Thursday the former England captain responded to the comments from the former New England Patriots quarterback on his new BBC podcast The Wayne Rooney Show.
'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. But what he does understand is, he's a hard worker, we know that,' Rooney, 39, said.
'Football is not NFL — the NFL works for three months a year. Players do need rest as well, so I think he's very unfair, the way he's come out and portrayed that.
'Listen, I respect Tom Brady massively. He's one of the greatest, if not the greatest athlete of all time and Birmingham do look like they're getting it right now, which is good and I think what they have done is get the players out that they needed to get out.'
Brady bought a stake in the Midlands club a month after Knighthead Capital had completed their takeover in July 2023. The former American footballer was convinced to join the project by his friend Tom Wagner, co-chief executive of Knighthead Capital and now co-owner at Birmingham.
In their first few months in charge they controversially got rid of the manager, John Eustace, and brought in Rooney, who was then dismissed with the club facing a relegation fight and replaced by Tony Mowbray.
'When I went into Birmingham, they were in a mess, really,' Rooney said. 'Hence the fact that the players weren't really the players who could take the club forward. You had Tony Mowbray, Gary Rowett [in as manager] after me, who also struggled as well.'
After their relegation to League One they appointed Chris Davies as manager in June 2024 and invested £30million in new players, which contributed to them topping the division last season with 111 points, an EFL record, and being promoted to the Championship.
They drew 1-1 in their opening game of the new campaign on Friday night and face Blackburn Rovers away this weekend.