Wayne Rooney says he has been left ‘really disappointed’ by ‘very unfair’ comments by Tom Brady on his work ethic.
Brady, a minority owner of Birmingham since August 2023, questioned Rooney’s attitude during a new Amazon Prime documentary, citing concerns about his work ethic after a training ground visit in November 2023.
Tom Brady expresses concerns about Wayne Rooney’s work ethic as Birmingham City’s head coach, calling him “lackadaisical” and criticising players as “lazy and entitled.”
The appointment of Rooney received backlash from fans, many seeing it as a publicity move. Brady reflects on the club’s disastrous first season under new ownership, admitting to hasty changes.
Rooney, who ended up being sacked after 83 days and 15 matches in January 2024, defended himself on the first episode of his new podcast, noting football’s differences from the NFL and the lighter training day Brady observed.
In 2024-25, with £30m invested in transfers, Birmingham topped League One with a record 111 points under new manager Chris Davies.
While, Rooney respects Brady, he felt his comments, which also saw Birmingham players labelled as “lazy and entitled,” were unfair.
Tom Brady questions Wayne Rooney’s ‘work ethic’ at Birmingham and hits out at relegated squad
Responding to Brady, he said he was “really disappointed with the comment”.
“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.
“But what he does understand is, he’s a hard worker, we know that.
“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.
“When I went into Birmingham, they were in a mess really.
“Hence the fact that the players weren’t really the players who could take the club forward.
“You had Tony Mowbray, Gary Rowett after me, who also struggled as well.
“Listen, I respect Tom Brady massively.
“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.”
You can watch The Wayne Rooney Show, from Friday and will air twice weekly on BBC Sounds, YouTube and iPlayer.
Here’s how fans reacted as Wayne Rooney says he has been left ‘really disappointed’ by ‘very unfair’ Tom Brady comments on his work ethic…
@RyanDeeney2194:
“Tony Mowbray and Gary Rowett struggled as well”
Rooney: Pld 15; W 2; D 4; L9 (0.67 PPG)
Mowbray: Pld 6; W 3; D 1; L2 (1.67 PPG)
Rowett: Pld 8; W 3; D 2; L3 (1.38 PPG)
Come again?
#BCFC #KRO
@athpaps7: Wayne they weren’t in a mess? When you came in they were 6th in the championship 😂
@LeModFootball: Full of shit, the club wasn’t in a mess at all, the club was buzzing, we had a new team & we’d won nearly half of our games. Mowbray & Rowett didn’t struggle, they both got a lot of points, despite coming in after he’d destroyed any semblance of cohesion or confidence
@KeegBCFC: The thing that annoys me most about these things isn’t him blatantly lying, it’s the fact that nobody he speaks to calls him out on his bollocks.
@jamesajh1st: Birmingham weren’t ‘in a mess’ when you came in they were 6th. Rooney made the mess. And Mowbry, Rowett and Eustace all had much higher points per game than Rooney with the same players… simply not good enough.
@briandick:
Eustace P13 W6
Rooney P15 W2 😱
Mowbray P10 W4
Rowett P8 W3
#bcfc were 6th when Rooney arrived and 20th when he left.
Following season he took #pafc down
Blah blah Wayne, always someone else’s fault
@MarkBcfc3: Club was in a mess when he took over… We were 6th in the championship 😂
@TomHeath27: Be real. John Eustace and Tony Mowbray didn’t struggle to get a decent tune out of that group. The worst football I’ve ever seen at St. Andrew’s and that’s some accolade after the last decade or so. Your managerial record at Birmingham and elsewhere speaks for itself.
@jassyblue80: Fair play. A lot of people would have said stuff for effect/likes etc… but got to give Rooney credit here, very respectful in his response. What I would say is that under Eustace we wasn’t in a mess… but the mess began, trying to change stuff mid season.
@RBcfc1875: JE left us in 6th place, club was in a mess after you got sacked, not before it.
@Shepp960: The Wayne Rooney PR campaign has started again it seems
@Goulding_23: Facts speak for themselves and again he’s making himself look silly. If he was to come out and say “Garry Cook piled pressure on me to play football the players at my disposal weren’t good enough for” I’d have a bit of sympathy. But he’s churning out bollocks.
@MarkONe64583088: Absolute nonsense. Eustace, Mowbray & Rowett did not struggle at all. They had 22 games between them & their ppg over a full season would have put us on 74 points and in the play offs picture. Rooney on the other hand…….
@Nick_BCFC_: Failed manager. Stick to punditry where your mates give you an easy ride.
@KarlHills2: Here he goes again 🙄 so full so shit this bloke. But sure, let’s give him a platform to again BS his way out of the shit job he did. Not just at Blues, but at PA as well. #bcfc #kro
@NateLaw94: We were 6th in the table when you came in and Mowbray and Rowett both did much better jobs when you left. Most dislikable manager we’ve ever had, not once considered it might’ve been down to him
@FifaWondaHD: We weren’t in a mess at all, we were 6th. Rowett & Mowbray didn’t struggle. They had a much better points per game (mid table level) compared to your pathetic performance & they managed to do so after you battered the players confidence. You turned up late and were shit face it!
@g2mcc: Didn’t Rooney come into Birmingham 6th in the Championship and brought them to like 19th or something? Not that big a mess then.
@Tr1ckyTrees:
‘In a mess’
They were 6th in the league and flying .. you took them down
Derby RELEGATED
Plymouth RELEGATED
Birmingham RELEGATED
Something tells me your never the issue Wayne but it’s always someone or something else 🤷🏻♂️
Serial winner as a player
Serial loser as a manager
