Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers waves to the crowd as he runs off the field after defeating the New England Patriots in the game at Gillette Stadium on October 03, 2021 in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
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LONDON — Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady has become a minority owner of English soccer club Birmingham City.
The club, which competes in the EFL Championship — the second tier of the English league pyramid — announced on Thursday that Brady had partnered with New York-based investment firm Knighthead Capital Management to take a minority stake in the club and will become chairman of its advisory board.
The legendary NFL quarterback ended his football career in February at the age of 45 after 23 seasons, a record seven Super Bowl titles and five Super Bowl MVP trophies. He has since joined with Knighthead in a number of sporting investments around the world.
“Birmingham City is an iconic club with so much history and passion and to be part of the Blues is a real honour for me,” Brady said in a statement.
Although based in the U.K.’s second-largest city, the club has languished outside the coveted Premier League since 2011 and has long been eclipsed by crosstown rival Aston Villa.
BIRMINGHAM, UK – Birmingham City’s Lukas Jutkiewicz (second left) celebrates scoring his side’s first goal of the game with team-mates during the Sky Bet Championship match at St Andrew’s Trillion Trophy Stadium, Birmingham.
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“BCFC is built on teamwork and determination and I’m excited to work alongside the board, management and players to make our Second City club second to none. I’ve been part of some amazing teams in my day, and I’m looking forward to applying my perspective to create that same success here in Birmingham,” Brady added.
In a video posted by the club on the social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, Brady said he has “a lot to learn” about English football, but hoped to transfer his winning mentality into success for the Blues.
Chairman of the Board Tom Wagner said Brady joining the club’s ownership team was a “statement of intent” and was “setting the bar at world class.”
“Tom is both investing and committing his time and extensive expertise. As Chair of the Advisory Board Tom will have a direct impact on the Club,” he said.
“The goal that Tom has committed to own is to make Birmingham City a respected leader in nutrition, health, wellness, and recovery across the world of football.”