Brady criticizes Rooney and Birmingham players: “Lazy and entitled”

Tom Brady, NFL legend and minority owner of Birmingham City, has expressed serious doubts about the work ethic of former coach Wayne Rooney and has called some players from the 2023-24 season “lazy and entitled”. Brady, seven-time Super Bowl champion, became a minority owner of Birmingham in August 2023, following the acquisition of the club by Knighthead Capital Management LLC and American financier Tom Wagner.

I’m a little worried about our coach [Rooney]’s work ethic.

Tom Brady

These statements were made in an Amazon Prime documentary that will be released on Friday, focusing on Birmingham’s rise to the Championship last season.

Rooney was appointed Birmingham manager two months after the Knighthead and Brady acquisition, but his tenure only lasted 83 days, culminating in the club’s relegation to League One.

Well, we’ve already changed the coach, so it’s really the players because the coach doesn’t go out and put the ball in the goal. They were lazy, they were entitled, and when you’re lazy and entitled, you don’t have much chance of succeeding. We have to change all the people who are associated with the defeat, so I think this summer there will be a lot of people leaving.

Tom Brady

Following relegation in 2024, Birmingham invested a record sum in signings for League One and achieved promotion, setting a record of 111 points in the English Football League. Birmingham has been active in the summer transfer market, preparing for their return to the second division of English football. So far, they have brought in six players on permanent contracts, including former Premier League champion Demarai Gray, as well as former Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi for 9 million euros ($10 million) from Stade Rennais. The team will start the season at home against Ipswich Town on August 8th.