Wayne Rooney has hit back at Tom Brady after the NFL legend’s stinging criticism of his work ethic at Birmingham.
Two months after Brady became a minority stakeholder in a new regime at St Andrew’s, Rooney experienced a disastrous 83 days as manager of the Blues.
Rooney has spoken out after having his work ethic called into questionGettyHaving surprisingly replaced John Eustace in October 2023, the England and Manchester United manager was sacked in January 2024 after failing to win 13 of his 15 matches in charge.
Birmingham were ultimately relegated from the Championship, before staging an impressive rebuild under Chris Davies and running away with the League One title.
In the new documentary ‘Built in Birmingham: Brady and the Blues’, footage shows the American icon being left unimpressed after witnessing one of Rooney’s sessions with the team.
“I’m a little worried about our head coach’s work ethic,” Brady said. “I mean, I don’t know, I don’t have great instincts on that.”
The 48-year-old elaborated on those comments during an exclusive interview with talkSPORT’s Troy Deeney last month.
He said: “I have a tremendous amount of respect for Wayne and what he accomplished. He’s one of the greatest players that’s ever been on a pitch.
“At the same time, I have very high expectations for what leadership looks like.”
Now, two weeks after those comments emerged, Rooney has responded by calling out Brady’s football knowledge.
He said: “I think it was a very unfair comment. When I went into Birmingham, they were in a mess, really.
“The players weren’t really players who could take the club forward.
Brady made headlines for calling out Rooney during his spell as Birmingham managerGetty“Tom came in once, which was the day before a game, where the day is a little bit lighter anyway, and I don’t think he really understood football that well at the time. Maybe he does now.
“But what he does understand is he’s a hard worker. We know that.
“That’s why I was disappointed with the comment. Football is not NFL. NFL works for three months a year. Players need rest.
“So I think it was very unfair the way he came out and portrayed that. Listen, I respect Tom Brady massively. He is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, athletes of all time.
“Birmingham do look like they’re getting it right now, which is good. What they’ve done is get the players out they needed to get out. After me, Tony Mowbray and Gary Rowett both struggled as well.
“So a bit disappointed, but nothing too serious, so move on.”
Rooney also criticised the lack of time afforded to him during his brief stay at St Andrew’s during an appearance on the OverlapRooney, who had previously taken charge of Derby County and DC United, was appointed as Plymouth Argyle manager in the summer of 2024.
However, the 39-year-old left in December that year with the team bottom of the league.
Rooney is now working across various media roles as he contemplates his next move in management.
What does Brady expect this season?
With Birmingham back in the Championship, Brady told talkSPORT before the season began: “I want these players to know that they have all the support they need for them to out there and accomplish their goals.
“The only people that really can get things done are the people that are within that locker room. The staff and those players, they’re the ones that are going to decide the fate of this season.
“It’s our job and opportunity to help solve problems for them and to put them in a great position to succeed.
Birmingham started their Championship campaign with a 1-1 draw at home to IpswichGetty“So it’s not going to be anything I say here in late July that matters. It’s going to be about what they do when they show up to training, how they recover, how they eat, the individual choices they make, whether they win or lose.
“Do we learn from our mistakes? Do we show up the next day with a competitive attitude to be successful? Does the manager continue to think and study different tactics week in and week out because every week is something different. You’re going against different teams that have different strengths and weaknesses.
“Then ultimately, can those players go out and execute under pressure? And that’s what we’re trying to find.
“The people that are doing that, they’re going to be in this club for a long time and the ones that aren’t, they’re going to have to find other places.
“That’s the reality of sports. That’s what I realised as a sportsman. You got to show up every day with a great attitude to be successful and if you don’t, there’s other people that are there that are trying to take your job.
“If you have ambition to play at the highest level, the competition is within yourself. It’s about what you bring to the table. It’s not about what someone else does.
“If you show up every day with a great winning competitive attitude and you’re willing to do whatever it takes to make the team successful, I promise you there’s going to be a place for you.”
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