Why should Birmingham listen to Tom Brady? What NFL legend brings to the table amid questions of role at relegated Blues

It was revealed early in the 2023-24 campaign that seven-time Super Bowl winner Brady had acquired a stake in Birmingham and become their new chairman of the advisory board. His debut campaign at St Andrew’s proved to be a disastrous one, with relegation suffered into League One.

Brady knows what it takes to win, but he is a novice when it comes to a different form of football to the one that he dominated in America. Rowett has told Sky Sports when asked why his input in the West Midlands should not be ignored: “In fairness, he would only talk about pressure and high performance. Tom spoke to the players. Tom has tried to play his part in terms of performance and what performance under pressure looks like. Again, of course it’s a different sport, but what I would say is they are here for the long-term and I think there is an opportunity to build the club.”

Rowett, who was at the helm when Birmingham tumbled into the third tier – following a failed gamble on Wayne Rooney and health issues for Tony Mowbray – added on Brady and the Blues board being committed for the long haul: “I can only judge what I saw, and the likes of Tom Brady, the likes of Tom Wagner, they are really invested in the club – both financially and also time wise. They are trying to do their bit.”

The Blues are expected to push for an immediate return to the Championship in 2024-25, with Wrexham – who have Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney calling the shots at boardroom level – set to form part of their League One fixture list.