Tom Brady has ended his involvement with Birmingham City only three years after joining the Championship club as a minority investor.
The Blues confirmed his departure in a statement released on Monday evening, saying: ‘Birmingham City Football Club expresses its sincere gratitude to Tom Brady for his involvement with and unwavering support for the club over the last three years.
‘It was amazing to have someone with Tom’s experience and passion associated with the club, and the club looks forward to continuing on that foundation from the training ground to the Birmingham community.’
The NFL great became a minority shareholder in the summer of 2023, when billionaire Tom Wagner’s Knighthead Capital led a takeover of the club.
Brady’s arrival in English football was documented in a five-part series charting the new owners’ plans to transform the Midlands side. The Amazon production was titled ‘Built in Birmingham: Brady and the Blues’.
During the series, Brady notably criticised Wayne Rooney’s work ethic after the former England captain was briefly appointed manager following the dismissal of John Eustace.
Tom Brady (right) has ended his Birmingham City involvement three years after investing in the club
The NFL legend became a minority owner three years ago but has now stepped away
The fly-on-the-wall documentary showed Brady visiting Birmingham’s training ground to watch Rooney lead a team meeting and oversee a training session. As he drove away, he told his business manager Ben Rawitz: ‘I’m a little worried about our head coach’s work ethic.’
Rawitz responded: ‘Comes across as lackadaisical.’ Rooney was dismissed after just 83 days in charge.
Later in the series, Brady acknowledged that replacing Eustace with the former England international had been a mistake. He also revealed that he had been advised not to make ‘sweeping changes’ so soon after arriving at the club.
‘I had good advice, “Don’t go in there and make sweeping changes. You guys have time”,’ Brady said. ‘But we made sweeping changes that put us in decline. That was our doing.’
With Brady and Knighthead Capital involved, Birmingham City unveiled plans for a 20-year development project, with £3billion earmarked for a new ‘Sports Quarter’ in the city.
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The 48-acre site in east Birmingham is planned to include a 60,000-seat stadium and training ground built above a network of underground transport tunnels.
However, the schedule has already been revised, with the proposed stadium completion date moving from 2029 to 2031.
Our News Outlet Sport understands that London-based Heatherwick Studio, working alongside Kansas City firm Manica, is expected to develop the design. The proposed ‘chimney theme’ would pay tribute to Birmingham’s industrial heritage.
Brady infamously appointed Wayne Rooney as manager before the former England captain was sacked after 83 days
Steven Knight, the Peaky Blinders creator and well-known Birmingham supporter, is also understood to be working with the project team in an effort to create ‘one of the most-talked about stadium designs ever’.
Brady had pledged last season to help Birmingham secure promotion to the Premier League. The club currently sit top of the Championship heading into the final international break of the year, although Brady has now departed before their return to the top flight can be achieved.
Wagner had previously praised Brady’s contribution, but supporters offered a range of reactions to the news on social media.
One fan wrote on X: ‘Didn’t contribute anything after the first season, good riddance.’
Another posted: ‘What did he even do? Even his fitness guy didn’t contribute anything, we had more injuries than ever.
‘PR stunt, better off without him being involved. Embarrassed us on the Amazon doc too.’
A third supporter took a more positive view, writing: ‘Some of these clueless comments. He’s a brand name and he made us globally talked about, globally looked at, globally listened to.
‘He still helped put us on the map.’
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