Wayne Rooney and Tom Brady’s unexpected feud has taken a fresh, public turn.
The spat traces back to a comment made by Brady, a minority owner at Birmingham City, about Rooney, the club’s former head coach, in the Amazon Prime documentary Built in Birmingham: Brady & the Blues.
“I’m a little worried about our head coach’s work ethic,” Brady said following a visit to the club’s training ground in November 2023. “I mean, I don’t know, I don’t have great instincts on that.”
Rooney, who was sacked by Birmingham in January 2024 after just 83 days in charge, has now hit back at Brady in his new podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show, which airs twice weekly on BBC Sounds, YouTube, and BBC iPlayer.
🗣️ Tom Brady on Wayne Rooney at Birmingham: “I’m a little bit worried about our head coach’s work ethic.” 😬
🎥 @primevideosport pic.twitter.com/OgY3aGk3Ru
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) August 1, 2025
Reflecting on Brady’s remarks, Rooney 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,” the former England captain explained.
He added: “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.”
Your move, Tom.
