Exclusive: David Prutton drops Tom Brady, Birmingham City claim as Championship beckons | OneFootball

As the Blues return to the Championship, Prutton lifts the lid on how Tom Brady could shape their future.

When Birmingham City were relegated to League One in 2024, it felt like a death knell for a club that had only just begun to show signs of new life.

An American ownership group, led by Tom Wagner’s Knighthead Capital, had arrived with big promises and even bigger headlines - including the unveiling of NFL legend Tom Brady as a minority owner and advisory board member.

By the time the dust settled on the drop, many wondered whether it had all come too late, but now, just under a year later, things look very different.

Birmingham haven’t just bounced back - they’ve stormed through League One, finishing top of the table with room to spare, and playing the kind of front-foot football fans have craved for years.

It’s the kind of momentum that raises questions about what’s next, both on the pitch and behind the scenes.

David Prutton on Tom Brady’s role as Birmingham City eye Championship success

With the Blues now setting their sights on the Championship and beyond, Football League World spoke exclusively to former pro and pundit David Prutton to ask: will NFL legend Tom Brady take on a more prominent role as Birmingham target a return to the Premier League?

“Possibly. I don’t know whether you mean by dint of it being from a profile point of view, Christ I mean he’s one of the greatest athletes on the planet so it can't be from an attention point of view for him can it.” Prutton told FLW.

“I think what they need to harness at Birmingham City, is off the back of a wonderful season, where questions were asked and the postmortem was looked through when they dropped out of the Championship, and a heartbreaking end to the season.”

“But they've made mincemeat of League One, they'll be very well backed, they'll be ambitious, as they very well should be given the size of the club, given what's going on across the city at Villa.”

“There's an example there for them to possibly climb into the top division and progress from there. But they've got to get through the Championship first, I don't think it will be as straightforward as everyone's saying.”

“But I think it'll be a tremendously attractive football club for potential players to join, and the backing of Brady and the board, the two Toms, they look like a club in a hurry, but not in an unrealistic sense.”

Tom Brady’s influence and Birmingham City’s plan for Premier League return

While Prutton stops short of suggesting Brady will suddenly take centre stage at St Andrews, his comments hint at a deeper truth: this next phase of Birmingham City’s journey is about substance as much as symbolism.

Brady doesn’t need the attention - but the Blues might now stand to benefit more than ever from the credibility, visibility, and commercial pull he represents.

As the Championship looms, the challenge is no longer just about bouncing back. It’s about establishing staying power, building smartly, and sustaining momentum.

Whether or not Brady’s role becomes more visible, his presence behind the scenes reflects the kind of ambition that finally feels matched on the pitch. For the first time in a long time, Birmingham look like a club in a hurry - with a plan to match.