Birmingham City minority owner Tom Brady did not hold back his criticism of the Blues’ former manager Wayne Rooney, as well as the team’s star players.
NFL legend Brady is taking center stage in a new docuseries on Amazon Prime. Built In Birmingham: Brady & the Blues follows Birmingham City’s heartbreaks and triumphs over the last two years, starting with their relegation to League One in 2023–24.
The five-part docuseries features Brady’s real-time insight into the team's past struggles, starting with Rooney's leadership back in 2023.
“I’m a little worried about our head coach's [Rooney’s] work ethic,” Brady said. “I mean, I don’t know, I don't have great instincts on that.”
Rooney was appointed in Oct. 2023, just two months after Knighthead Capital Management LLC and Tom Wagner’s takeover of Birmingham City in August of the same year. The Manchester United legend signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with the Blues, but only lasted 83 days.
Birmingham City went from sixth in the Championship to 20th, managing just two wins in the three months Rooney was in charge. Even after the club sacked the manager, it could not escape relegation.
Seven-time Super Bowl champion Brady lashed into his players following the poor season.
“Well we’ve already changed the coach, so it’s really the players because the coach doesn't go out there and put the ball in the goal,” Brady said.
“They were lazy, they were entitled and when you’re lazy and entitled, you don’t have much of a chance to succeed,” he continued. “We’ve got to change all the people that are associated with losing, so I think this summer there's going to be a lot of people gone.”
The Blues bounced back, though, and dominated League One in 2024–25, finishing atop the table and securing an automatic bid to the Championship under Chris Davies. Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s Wrexham, as well as Charlton Athletic were also promoted to England’s second division.
Winning the League One championship was just step one for Brady’s Birmingham City, though. They now have the chance to earn a place in the Premier League for the 2026–27 season, but first, they must prove themselves worthy in the Championship.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Lazy and Entitled’—Tom Brady Slams Wayne Rooney, Birmingham City Players in New Docuseries.