Wayne Rooney names the 6 best athletes of all time ft Birmingham City figure | OneFootball

Wayne Rooney worked with Tom Brady during his time as Birmingham City head coach

Wayne Rooney’s managerial career in the Championship has proven a real mixed bag between stints at Birmingham City, Derby County and Plymouth Argyle.

The former England international earned plaudits for his work with the Rams, even though financial issues significantly hampered the team during his time as head coach.

However, he lasted just 15 and 25 games at Birmingham and Plymouth, respectively, and he has yet to find work since departing the Pilgrims in December 2024.

All three clubs he managed in England suffered relegation in campaigns where he was in the dugout, although he had been dismissed by the time the Blues or the Devon outfit finished in the bottom three.

During his spell at St. Andrew’s, minority owner Tom Brady questioned the 40-year-old’s work ethic during an episode of Built in Birmingham: Brady & Blues.

The former forward hit back at those comments, defending himself and suggesting that the former NFL star was not particularly involved in his role with the Championship side.

Wayne Rooney names Tom Brady as top athlete

Rooney enjoyed a lengthy and successful playing career prior to becoming a manager with Derby in November 2020.

He ended his playing career with the Rams, but he burst onto the scene at Everton at the age of just 16, scoring six times in his first season with the club as they finished seventh in the table.

The forward made the big money move to Manchester United in 2004 after two seasons at Goodison Park, arriving in a deal worth a reported £30 million.

The 40-year-old won a Champions League, five Premier League titles, an FA Cup, three EFL Cups, a Europa League and a FIFA Club World Cup during his time at Old Trafford.

Rooney returned to Everton in 2017 before moving to DC United a year later, with his move to Derby coming in 2020.

But when asked to name his picks for the six greatest athletes in history, Rooney opted to choose his former boss at Birmingham Brady.

Speaking on The Wayne Rooney show for the BBC, he named Brady number five, just behind Michael Jordan.

His top four included, in order from four to one, Serena Williams, Mike Tyson, Tiger Woods and Ronnie O’Sullivan, with no footballer on the list at all.

6) Michael Jordan5) Tom Brady4) Serena Williams3) Mike Tyson2) Tiger Woods1) Ronnie O'Sullivan

Tom Brady and Wayne Rooney relationship can’t be too bad

Brady and Rooney obviously had a clash of culture during their time at Birmingham, and his appointment was overall a total disaster.

But the former Man United star has still chosen him as one of the best athletes of all time, so their relationship can’t have been too frosty.

While a return of any kind at St. Andrew’s likely won’t be forthcoming, this acknowledgement goes some way to moving on from their public beef last year.

It’s surprising that Rooney has opted for such an American and male-centric list, with no footballer at all a particularly strange decision.

However, Brady accomplished so much in the NFL as a quarter back, winning seven Super Bowls, including six with the New England Patriots and one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.