Former Premier League manager labels Tom Brady's comments about Wayne Rooney 'very American'

René Meulensteen puts Tom Brady's recent comments about Wayne Rooney down to a clash of cultures.

NFL legend and Birmingham City co-owner Brady has come under fire for remarks made during the 'Brady & The Blues' documentary on Prime Video, during which he questioned the club's then-manager's work ethic.

The footage has been used as part of marketing for the five-part series, which debuted last month. However, Brady's comments about Manchester United's all-time leading goalscorer have been meet with some criticism which resulted in the seven-time Super Bowl champion clarifying his stance on Rooney.

“Our first season was a bit of a challenge, and I think we have to take ownership of every decision that was made," Brady told the Men in Blazers podcast. "We made the decision at the time, but we learned from it and we moved on.” 

Meulensteen, a former manager at Fulham and part of the Manchester United coaching staff for much of Rooney's time at Old Trafford, isn't too bothered by Brady's comments and said they stem from regional differences between the two sides of the Atlantic Ocean. 

“I’m not surprised by Tom Brady’s comments about Wayne Rooney; I think they were said in a very ‘American’ tone,” Meulensteen told Poker Strategy.

“Brady is a sports personality himself and is hugely successful – he has certain expectations and standards he wants to uphold, but I coached Wayne when he was at Manchester United and he was always a keen trainer, hard worker and gave it his all.

“It’s hard to comment on the topic as I don’t know what’s happened behind the scenes at Birmingham City. I couldn’t see Wayne turning up late every day as the manager, but I don’t think he’s that type of person – that would be my assessment based on my experience with him. 

“Wayne knows what his responsibilities are as a player and manager. It’s been difficult for him as a manager, since Derby, then heading to a completely different environment in the MLS, followed by his stint at Birmingham, but I find it hard to believe his work ethic was sub-par.”

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