Tom Brady walks away! NFL icon cuts ties with Birmingham City despite Blues sitting top of Championship

Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady has officially severed his ties with Birmingham City after three years as a minority owner at St Andrew's. The 49-year-old NFL icon departs despite the Blues moving to the summit of the Championship table following Saturday's 2-1 victory over Swansea City.

Confirmed by the Midlands outfit on Monday, the departure sees Brady relinquish his 3.3 per cent shareholding alongside his position as chairman of the club's advisory board. The former quarterback originally joined forces with friend and business partner Tom Wagner during the August 2023 takeover led by Knighthead Capital Management LLC. That investment arrived just six months after he retired from a 23-season playing career in February 2023.

Upon first arriving in English football after winning six Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots and one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the three-time NFL Most Valuable Player "entered a partnership" that the club stated would see him "both investing [as well as] committing his time and extensive expertise".

Confirming his exit in an official statement, the Blues said: "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 truly amazing to have someone with Tom's experience and passion associated with the club, and the club looks forward to continuing to build on that foundation from the training ground to the Birmingham community."

Brady's spell in the second city was not without controversy, most notably during the 2023-24 campaign when an ill-fated managerial reign of less than three months for Wayne Rooney ended in relegation to League One. After the American questioned the former England striker's work ethic during a documentary series, Rooney hit back by branding those remarks "very unfair".

Away from British football, the former passer continues to juggle a heavy schedule across North American sport and broadcasting. Alongside working as a lead NFL analyst for FOX Sports on a contract running until 2032, he serves as a minority owner and team advisor for the Las Vegas Raiders while also holding an ownership stake in WNBA franchise the Las Vegas Aces.

Despite losing their high-profile investor, Birmingham enter the November international break sitting top of the Championship on goal difference with 29 points from 15 matches. Majority chief Wagner remains determined to guide the club back into the Premier League as they look to build on their strong domestic momentum. Furthermore, long-term plans are already in place to construct a new 62,000-capacity stadium in the city.