Rooney fires back at Tom Brady after work ethic jibe | OneFootball

Wayne Rooney has defended himself after criticism from NFL superstar Tom Brady, calling the comments about his work ethic “very unfair” and claiming Brady “didn’t really understand football” during his brief tenure as Birmingham City manager.

Brady’s documentary criticism sparks Rooney response

Rooney’s response followed Brady’s query of the England legend’s commitment in the Amazon Prime documentary series “Built in Birmingham: Brady & The Blues,” which first aired on 1st August 2025.

After visiting Birmingham’s training ground in November 2023, Brady voiced worries in the documentary about former head coach Rooney’s work ethic.

The documentary captured Brady’s visit the day before a match, where the seven-time Super Bowl champion observed what he perceived as a lackadaisical approach from Rooney during his troubled 83-day stint as manager. Brady also described Birmingham’s players from that period as “lazy and entitled” in the same documentary.

Speaking on his new BBC podcast “The Wayne Rooney Show,” which launches on Friday, Rooney expressed his disappointment with Brady’s assessment.

“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 stated.

The former Manchester United striker emphasised the fundamental differences between American football and football, saying: “Football is not NFL – NFL works for three months a year. Players do need rest as well, so I think he was very unfair in the way he’s come out and portrayed that.”

Part of the Knighthead Capital Management acquisition, Brady became a minority owner of Birmingham City in August 2023 and assumed the post of chairman of the advisory council.

Just two months later, in October 2023, Rooney was appointed as manager, inheriting a team that was sixth in the Championship table under previous manager John Eustace.

Rooney’s stint turned out to be troubled, though, as Birmingham won only two games out of the 15 and dropped to 20th position in the Championship. Following his January 2024 firing, the club’s performance failed to improve and Birmingham were relegated to League One.

Although he was criticised, Rooney defended his own approach while still respecting Brady’s accomplishments.

“Listen, I respect Tom Brady massively. He’s one of the greatest, if not the greatest athletes of all time,” Rooney observed.

He maintained, nevertheless, that Brady’s assessment was predicated on restricted observation and inadequate awareness of the particular demands of football.

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