NFL icon Tom Brady told 'stay in your lane' after 'work ethic' spat with Wayne Rooney - Daily Star

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The quarterback - hailed the Greatest Of All Time in the US after winning seven Super Bowls - sparked a transatlantic tiff between two of the biggest names in sport when he admitted in a new telly shock doc he was 'worried' about Rooney's 'lackadaisical' approach.

The slur came during the ex-Manchester United striker's ill-fated 83-day stint as manager of Birmingham City - of which Brady is part owner.

In five-part fly-on-the-wall Amazon Prime documentary Built in Birmingham: Brady and the Blues the 47-year-old quarterback tried to school the ex-Manchester United striker on his training routine.

Brady told Rooney: "I treated practice like it was the Super Bowl. Every practice we'd do a two minute drill at the end of the game.

"I would throw a touchdown, at practice, and stand there being like,'f***, we won the game' even though it was practice, you know?

"And then my team mates were like, 'f***, that's how we're going to do it, this is real, make them earn everything'." After a pause Rooney replied: "But no, they're a good group of lads to be fair."

Shortly afterwards Brady told his business manager Ben Rawitz: "I'm a little worried about our head coach's work ethic."

Rawitz replied: "Comes across as lackadaisical."

The exchange happened as Brady drove away after visiting Birmingham's training ground to observe one of Rooney's team meetings and training sessions during his 2023 tenure.

Rooney, 39, was sacked after the team managed just two wins in his 15 matches in charge.

At the end of the season the club was relegated to League One.

But angry fans blasted the American hero for criticising Manchester United 's record all-time goalscorer who won Champions and Europa Leagues, five Premier Leagues, four League Cups and an FA and FIFA Club World Cup in a glittering 19-year playing career.

Rooney, who remains England's second highest goalscorer with 53 in 120 appearances and played in the finals of three World Cups, has recently signed an £800,000 deal to be a BBC Match Of The Day pundit for the next two seasons.

One fan said Brady's slur 'sounds like an anti-Ted Lasso' - the fictional US manager hailed a hero after taking over AFC Richmond despite knowing nothing about soccer in the smash hit TV comedy.

An American fan commented online: "I think Brady needs to stay in his lane."

Another supporter said: "Brady wouldn't know a football if it landed on his plate."

"He calls the game 'soccer' - that's all I need to say," added another.

One more said: "WTF does Tom Brady know about the game of football (not American football) Rooney may have his faults for sure but I don't think being lackadaisical is one of them! Rooney was a stupid selection to be their manager."

"You can say lots about Rooney but to question his work ethic is nonsense," added another.

One more added: "Funny Brady comparing himself to any footballer. He couldn't run their speed, their distance nor had he ever experienced a session of 90 minutes harassment by opposition players and fans. NFL is a different sport with its own challenges, but compared to football, he stood around for 99 per cent of the game and threw a ball when it was his turn. That's it. Dedication my ass."

Someone else said: "An NFL season is 18 weeks long and 17 games. The average time the ball is in play in the NFL is only about 12 minutes so which sport has the poor work ethic?"

One local suggested Brady could prove his dedication by helping empty the rubbish in a city crippled by bin strikes.

They said: "Does Brady need a job on the bins to demonstrate his work ethic?"

"Brady should travel and stand with away supporters for a few weeks when they are on a losing streak and then he'll know what commitment is," added another.

But some suggested the American had a point.

One wrote: "Brady along with other greats were known for their hard word and discipline much like CR7. I am British and I know Americans work a lot harder than us and have a bigger drive - a winning mentality. We don't need to be insecure or defensive. We can be honest with ourselves."

Others suggested Rooney was one of many great players who do not necessarily make successful managers.

One said: "Many top ex-players are not cut out to be managers. It's a completely different skill set than being a player. They think being a top pro player having been managed by great managers and experience what they do they automatically think they can manage.

"Management of people running a club on the field and planning strategies for short to long term growth and success takes skill and 24/7 dedication. I don't see Rooney as a manager. I see him as a coach at best.".

Another wrote: "Hell of a player but like so many wannabe managers who have had brilliant football careers - for example R Keane, Shearer, Souness, Gascoigne, Barnes to name - all failed. Why are so many managers who weren't great players successful? Because they know the game but couldn't play it but know how to teach it."

One joker added: "You can see the hard work Rooney puts in when eating pies."

Rooney's representatives had not responded to a request for comment.