Wayne Rooney Calls Tom Brady’s Work Ethic Criticism Unfair

In one of the episodes of the recent Amazon Prime original release Built in Birmingham: Brady & the Blues, the former NFL quarterback and Birmingham City’s part-owner, Tom Brady, lashed out at the head coach, Wayne Rooney. Brady had criticized Rooney, who’s a five-time Premier League champion and the second-most goalscorer for England, for his work ethic in the documentary.

Wayne Rooney had served as the head coach for Birmingham City for a short four-month stint. Rooney’s stint was widely criticized by fans and media after he won just twice in fifteen games and became a reason for their relegation to the third-tier for the first time since 1995.

As someone who’s invested in the club, Tom Brady had every right to question Rooney. However, the English soccer legend felt that the words were quite unfair.

In the Wayne Rooney Show, Rooney addressed the criticism. He claimed that soccer is widely different from the NFL, noting the differences between the two.

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.

He also noted that the episode or the premises in which Brady appeared was a day before the game, when things are lighter.

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.  

Albeit their differences and the public criticism, Rooney admitted that Brady is a hard worker whom he respects and considers one of the greatest athletes in the history of sports. He also noted that Birmingham City took a turn for the better after some much-needed roster changes.

Tom Brady’s Birmingham City starts the new season with a mixed beginning

Birmingham City was promoted to the EFL Championship after a year in the third tier, along with Wrexham and Charlton Athletic. Birmingham City started their campaign with a draw against Ipswich Town.

The club started the game with an early lead in the 55th minute with a Jay Stansfield goal, only to be equalized by a late penalty in the extra time. The Blues held the statistics with better possession and passes completed; however, Ipswich had more pass accuracy and late luck. Tom Brady’s club has bounced back from the early setback in Week 2.

The Blues defeated the Blackburn Rovers 2-1 with two exceptional goals in garbage time. In a similar game, the Rovers netted first right after the first half. Birmingham equalized through a penalty taken by Jay Stansfield in the 90th minute. In the added time, Lyndon Dykes netted once more with an assist from Jamaican Demarai Gray.

The win has brought Birmingham City to the top six of the standings. The top two advance to the Premier League, while the following four battle it out in a playoff system to find the third team joining them in the top flight of the league. The Blues have a tough few weeks ahead of them with a game against Leicester City and Stoke City in successive matchweeks. These weeks could upset the current standings as the league starts to form an initial picture.

The promotion also meant that the Blues could skip the first two rounds of the FA Cup. They, alongside 23 Championship teams and 20 Premier League clubs, join the competition in the third round, scheduled to start in the beginning of the next year.