The A-list American takeover of English football continued apace on Thursday with the shock announcement of NFL legend Tom Brady’s minority ownership of Championship side Birmingham City.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion has become the chairman of an advisory board working with Blues chiefs and promised to bring his winning ethos to St Andrew’s.
The 46-year-old’s move makes him the latest personality from across the pond to invest in English football following the San Francisco 49ers led takeover of Leeds last month.
Add in the likes of Hollywood actor Michael B Jordan buying a stake in Bournemouth, LeBron James’ stake in Liverpool and the famous north Wales double act of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, British football investment is in vogue.
Mail Sport takes a look at some of the most prominent US stars to dip their toes into football inside and out of this country.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney
Not long ago Reynolds was just one of Canada’s most popular movie actors and McElhenney was simply known for creating a cult hit of a sitcom in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
But now the pair’s purchase of Wrexham – which they acquired from fans for a ‘peppercorn’ before investing £2million – and subsequent promotion back to the Football League for the first time in 15 years has made them some of the most astute – and popular – sports owners on the planet.
And it has proved to be a model many of their peers in North America have sought to emulate.
Rob McElhenney (left) and Ryan Reynolds guided Wrexham to a league title last season
Since their 2021 purchase, Reynolds and McElhenney have produced an Emmy-nominated documentary series chronicling the epic transformation at Racecourse Ground.
They’ve secured a lucrative shirt sponsorship with United Airlines, drafted in big name players such as former Man United goalkeeper Ben Foster and have considerably raised the profile of the side to the point where the National League champions were part of a pre-season US tour alongside United and Chelsea this summer.
The two actors have been an overwhelming success in Wales and are now gunning to reach the Premier League.
Tom Brady
From the most famous example to the most recent.
Brady retired from the NFL for the second time in February but clearly cannot help but be around football – whether it’s of the North American or English variety.
Thursday’s news will raise supporters’ spirits ahead of the new Championship campaign which begins with a trip to Swansea City on Saturday.
‘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,’ the seven-time winning Superbowl quarterback said in a video confirming the news.
NFL icon Tom Brady has become a minority owner of Birmingham City Football Club
‘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.’
The exact nature of his stake and his involvement is not totally clear and no doubt he will be far less hands on compared to McElhenney and Reynolds – who have their own WhatsApp groups with Wrexham’s players!
Nonetheless, St Andrew’s is guaranteed to be abuzz for the club’s first home game of the season against Leeds next Sunday and his first visit to the club will represent the start of a new era after years of ownership woe.
The 46-year-old has been building his business empire since retiring from the NFL in 2023
JJ Watt
In the first example of the ‘Wrexham effect’, NFL hero JJ Watt and his wife – former United States international Kealia – invested in newly-promoted Burnley after being inspired by Reynolds and McElhenney’s work in North Wales.
Vincent Kompany’s side have the National League champions to thank for their new minority owners, who were taken in by Wrexham’s behind-the-scenes documentary.
‘We watched the documentary on and it was so cool to see what they’ve done,’ Kealia admitted when the pair annoced their investment in May.
‘That’s kind of what we are modelling this after. Wrexham is such a fun team and we have followed that.’
JJ Watt and his wife Kealia have invested in Burnley ahead of their Premier League return
During Burnley’s title celebrations after making a storming return to the top-flight, the duo took part in a pub crawl, soaking up the atmosphere in the Lancashire town as fans rejoiced at Burnley’s achievement.
Watt retired from the NFL last year after 12 seasons.
He is a three-time defensive player of the year and widely tipped as a future hall-of-famer. In 2021, Forbes ranked his estimated wealth at £27m.
His wife Kealia played three times for the United States women’s team and has underlined her desire to elevate the growth of the women’s team at Burnley.
LeBron James
LeBron James was quick to invest in Liverpool following the club’s takeover by US multinational conglomerate Fenway Sports Group in 2010.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer purchased a two per cent stake in Liverpool for just £4.7m in 2011 and it’s fair to say he got in a right time.
Since then the club have enjoyed a period of sustained success and soaring commercial value which has seen James’ stake balloon to an estimated £35m last year.
The four-time NBA champion converted his stake in Liverpool to a one per cent share in FSG’s global empire in March 2021 following the club’s 2019 Champions League triumph and Premier League title win a year later.
Back in February Liverpool revealed an LFC X LeBron collection, featuring both a fashion and footwear range which the club says ’embodies a long-standing connection between two global sporting icons, celebrating our shared values and illustrious histories’.
He may not be running the show but given the LA Lakers’ stars business accumen and global reach, having him on board is not to be dismissed.
LeBron James is seen attending a Liverpool game during his days with the Miami Heat
Michael B Jordan
Actor Michael B. Jordan is a minority stakeholder in Bournemouth under the ownership of Bill Foley.
The 36-year-old actor, who has played a leading role in blockbuster films like ‘Creed’, ‘Black Panther’, is new to the world of sports ownership.
Foley meanwhile, is not new to the sports world, as he’s been the owner of the expansion hockey team Las Vegas Golden Knights since 2016.
The NHL required a £394m expansion fee to be paid by Foley, far more than the £145m it took to purchase a club in the world’s biggest soccer league.
The 78-year-old has made his money as the chairman of Fidelity National Financial, one of the largest insurance companies in the US, and his net worth is £947m.
Foley also served as chairman of Black Knight, a software and data provider for the mortgage industry.
Michael B. Jordan was part of the ownership group that took over Bournemouth last year
San Francisco 49ers and Michael Phelps
Leeds United’s takeover by 49ers Enterprises was finally been approved by the EFL last month more than five weeks after announcing Andrea Radrizzani had agreed a deal to sell his majority share to the Americans.
It was only then that fans at Elland Road were treated to the cast of esteemed figures who would be forming part of their ownership group.
it emerged that the most successful Olympian of all time, American swimmer Phelps, will have a stake in Daniel Farke’s Championship side, along with golfers Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas and other stars from American football, basketball and ice hockey.
Paraag Marathe, the new Leeds chairman and 49ers Enterprises president, said: ‘This is an important moment for Leeds United and we are already hard at work.
‘This transition is a necessary reset to chart a new course for the club. We have already appointed a highly-respected manager with a track record of success, and we are confident Leeds will field a competitive squad to contend for promotion next season.
Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian ever, will be among the club’s minority owners
