When Tom Brady made the unexpected move to invest in English soccer, it was hailed as a groundbreaking moment.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion brought global attention to Birmingham City, a proud but struggling club in England’s second tier.
For fans, the presence of one of the greatest American athletes of all time promised fresh ambition and worldwide visibility. But inside the dressing room, things were less straightforward.
According to Wayne Rooney, who was manager at the time of Brady’s arrival, the partnership quickly soured as the NFL legend struggled to grasp the realities of the sport he was stepping into.
Rooney, who enjoyed a decorated career with Manchester United and the England national team, took over as Birmingham City manager in October 2023 with high hopes of guiding the club into contention for promotion. Instead, the results never materialized.
After just 15 matches, a run of poor form ended his tenure. Yet in a recent documentary that follows Brady’s involvement at the club, it wasn’t just the team’s performances that drew attention.
Brady is heard openly questioning Rooney’s work ethic as a coach, sparking a response from the former striker that shed light on their uneasy dynamic.
“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 [soccer] that well,” Rooney told ESPN.
“But what he does understand is, he’s a hard worker, we know that.”
For Rooney, the problem wasn’t Brady’s ambition but his lack of understanding about how a soccer team functions.
Where the NFL operates in a highly condensed season with weeks between games, soccer requires a different balance of preparation, recovery, and rotation across a grueling ten-month campaign.
“Football [soccer] is not NFL,” Rooney said pointedly. “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.”
A clash of sporting cultures
Brady’s remarks, though likely intended as constructive, highlight the cultural divide between American football and soccer.
The quarterback’s relentless pursuit of excellence made him a legend in the NFL, where physical preparation and strict discipline dominate.
But in soccer, Rooney argued, success also depends on managing player workloads, keeping the squad healthy, and navigating the emotional toll of constant competition.
That difference in approach may explain why Brady’s comments struck such a nerve.
For a manager under pressure, Rooney was dismissed after just three months, suggestions of a lack of commitment could be damaging to his reputation.
At the same time, Brady’s outsider status meant he was always likely to be scrutinized for any influence he tried to exert over footballing matters.
Despite the friction, Rooney was careful not to dismiss Brady’s achievements entirely.
He described the former quarterback as “one of the greatest, if not the greatest athletes of all time,” while making it clear that greatness in one arena does not automatically translate into expertise elsewhere.
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