Brady didn’t understand football, says Rooney after ‘work ethic’ jibe

Wayne Rooney has described criticism of his work ethic by Birmingham minority owner Tom Brady as “unfair” and said the NFL legend did not understand football.

Former Manchester United and England captain Rooney, was sacked as Birmingham manager in January 2024 after less than three months in charge.

Seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Brady, who became a minority shareholder at Birmingham in August 2023, said he was “a little worried about our head coach’s work ethic” during a recently-aired documentary after visiting Blues’ training ground two months later.

“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,” Rooney said on his new podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show, which will be aired on the BBC’s digital platforms.

“Football is not NFL — 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.”

Following Rooney’s departure, Birmingham appointed Tony Mowbray and Gary Rowett as managers in the 2023/24 season but were relegated to League One.

“When I went into Birmingham, they were in a mess really,” added Rooney. “Hence the fact that the players weren’t really the players who could take the club forward.

Since then the project, headed by American-based hedge fund Knighthead Capital, has turned around.

Birmingham’s wealthy backers invested an unprecedented £30 million ($41 million) in transfers for a League One club last season and broke an English Football League record by amassing 111 points as they stormed to the title.

“Listen, I respect Tom Brady massively,” said Rooney.

“He’s one of the greatest, if not the greatest athletes 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 got the players out that they needed to get out.”