Wayne Rooney's damning criticism from Tom Brady in never-before-seen Birmingham footage

Tom Brady delivered a scathing verdict on Wayne Rooney's work ethic during the England legend's disastrous reign as Birmingham City manager. Rooney was handed the Blues' hot seat following the takeover by Tom Wagner's consortium, which included NFL icon Brady as a part-owner.

However, he was given his marching orders in January 2024 after just 15 games at the helm as Birmingham plummeted down the Championship table before eventually suffering relegation to League One. Chris Davies stepped in as head coach last summer and secured immediate promotion back to the second tier. An upcoming documentary, 'Built in Birmingham: Brady and the Blues', is set to drop on Prime Video on Friday. Alongside a brewing rivalry with fellow promotion-chasers Wrexham last term, the documentary reveals footage from the Blues' relegation, which exposes the owners' fears about Rooney's leadership.

"I'm a little worried about our head coach's work ethic," Brady can be overheard telling business manager Ben Rawitz following a trip to the training ground while Rooney was in position. Rawitz, responding, indicates the manager "comes across as lackadaisical."

Brady is also captured giving Rooney some advice, saying: "What's the difference between [American football] and soccer? Nothing. I treated practice like it was the Super Bowl. Put pressure on them, make them run for everything."

When Rooney assumed control at Birmingham in October 2023, the club sat comfortably in fifth place in the Championship. Yet by January, when he was sacked, they had tumbled to 20th and eventually battled relegation on the campaign's final day.

Looking back at the disastrous period, Brady admitted: "I had good advice, 'Don't go in there and make sweeping changes. You guys have time.' But we made sweeping changes that put us in decline. That was our doing."

Rooney's wait for another Championship opportunity was short as he took the reins at Plymouth Argyle last summer. Once more, his spell proved fleeting, culminating in a mid-season dismissal with the Devon outfit subsequently suffering relegation from the Championship.

In stark contrast, Birmingham thrived under Davies' stewardship. The Blues dominated League One, racking up a record 111 points, securing 34 victories from 46 matches and finishing 19 points ahead of runners-up Wrexham.

After eight summer signings so far, including Demarai Gray's return, Birmingham are expected to be very competitive in the Championship this season. The Blues begin their campaign at home against relegated Ipswich Town on Friday, August 8.