Wayne Rooney has taken to his podcast to suggest it was "very unfair" of Tom Brady to question his work ethic while at Birmingham City.
The former Manchester United and Everton striker served as manager of the now-Championship team for 15 games during the 2023/24 season, being replaced after the team plummeted to 20th in the table from sixth.
The retired NFL legend became a minority owner in the Blues months after the club was acquired by Knightsbridge Capital Management LLC in 2023.
In a documentary following his involvement with the club, Brady said he was "a little worried about our head coach's work ethic".
Rooney responded to the comments, saying: "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. But what he does understand is, he's a hard worker, we know that."
He also said: "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."
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In the same documentary, he also called out several members of the Birmingham squad, referring to them as "lazy and entitled".
Birmingham's recovery from months of turmoil
Following Rooney's departure, the Blues appointed Tony Mowbray, who served as manager for just eight games before taking sick leave due to health issues.
Both Mark Venus (Mowbray's assistant) and Gary Rowett had spells at the helm of the club, but the turmoil did nothing to aid the season's campaign.
By the time Mowbray resigned, Birmingham were a League One side.
Rooney alluded to the issues, commenting: "When I went into Birmingham, they were in a mess really. Hence the fact that the players weren't really the players who could take the club forward.
"You had Tony Mowbray, Gary Rowett after me, who also struggled as well."
Following the installation of Chris Davies in 2024, Birmingham broke League One records, spending an unprecedented £30m in the transfer window and scoring the most points in a season, topping the table with an impressive 111 points.
The side returned to the Championship with a draw against newly-relegated side Ipswich Town.
Rooney ended the segment on a more positive note, saying: "Listen, I respect Tom Brady massively.
"He's one of the greatest, if not the greatest athletes of all time and Birmingham do look like they're getting it right now, which is good and I think what they have done is got the players out that they needed to get out."