Tom Brady’s investment in Birmingham

Gavin & Stacey’s Mick Shipman told the BBC that stumbling upon a dead body was “the last thing you expect to find when you come into work in the morning.” Little did Mick know that a few years down the line, a whole host of commuters would wake up to the greatest American footballer of all time investing in a second tier football club.

Yes, that’s right, Tom Brady has become a minority owner in Birmingham City. Talk about weird collaborations.

Brady retired from the NFL for a second time at the end of the 2022 season and ended his career as one of the most successful athletes of all time. He’s long been involved in business ventures and his latest jump follows the trend of North American sports stars and celebrities dipping their toe in the British ‘soccer’ sphere.

Here’s everything you need to know about Brady’s Birmingham investment.

The ultimate underdog. Brady was selected by the New England Patriots with the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL draft. He arrived into the league with little to no external expectations, but by 2004 he was a three-time Super Bowl champion after taking over as the Patriots’ quarterback in 2001 following an injury to superstar Drew Bledsoe.

Brady went on to dominate the sport with the most successful American sports franchise of the 21st century. He won six rings with New England and another with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady’s the most winningest player in NFL history and is now almost universally regarded as the greatest to ever play the game.

So, yeah, he’s a pretty big deal.

Brady has become a minority owner of the Blues after entering a partnership with Knighthead Capital Management LLC – a New York-based investment advisory firm that took majority control of the club in July.

The 46-year-old teamed up with Knighthead for the first time last year and his latest investment means he’ll become the chairman of the new advisory board at Birmingham.

Chairman Tom Wagner described Brady’s arrival as a “statement of intent” from the club that finished 17th in the Championship last season. Wagner hopes they are laying the foundations for future success in the West Midlands.

“When you have great leaders in place everything becomes possible,” he said when welcoming Brady.

Perhaps he’s a Peaky Blinders fan, who knows. Maybe he’s always liked a big man with tidy feet and appreciated the skill sets of Oliver Kapo and Nikola Zigic.

There’s no distinct ‘why’ yet regarding Brady’s decision to invest in Birmingham, but the ultra-competitive 46-year-old is bound to have a direct influence on how things are run at the club to improve competitive standards.

Brady remained one of the NFL’s best QBs right up until his retirement at age 45 and has long been admired for his work ethic and seemingly pristine lifestyle. The club note that Brady will ‘work alongside the sports science department to advise on health, nutrition, wellness, and recovery systems and programs’.

Brady wants to remain in elite-level sport after his retirement and this is just one of several avenues appeasing his desire. The 46-year-old has followed in the footsteps of fellow former NFL star JJ Watt, who invested in Burnley in May 2023.