Now that for a few years he has been retired, or at least he has stopped playing football, Tom Brady certainly does not want to sit on the sofa watching the NFL. The former star of the Patriots and the Buccaneers, probably the best quarterback in the history of American football, has invested in various ventures, among them Birmingham City. Brady, however, does not want to be a hands off investor, distant, as they say in the USA, but a hands on partner, that is one who gets his hands into the club’s affairs, transfer market included.
Carlos Vicente, the Blues‘ new signing, has revealed that it was precisely a phone call with Brady that was decisive in convincing him to complete the transfer from Alavés to the Championship (at this moment Birmingham, coming off last year’s promotion, is 13th in the table, five points off the playoff zone). City’s estimated investment is around 8 million euros, a considerable figure for the English second division. And it is a clear signal of Birmingham City’s promotion ambitions.
Speaking to the club’s official media after his arrival, Vicente recounted how much the influence exercised by Brady weighed in the final choice. Things went more or less like this, as Vicente himself recounted them at the microphones of his new club: «The last two weeks have been very intense, but when I heard about Birmingham I immediately felt happy and very interested in the project. The ways in which they made me understand how much they wanted me were fundamental: I spoke often with Craig Gardner, with Chris Davies and also with the owners, Tom Brady and Tom Wagner. Feeling that everyone really wanted me made the difference. When they then passed me Brady on the phone, I thought: “What the hell is going on?”. It was incredible and thrilling to know that a person like Brady considers me important for a project of his».
In the first part of the season Vicente scored 10 goals and provided three assists in 25 appearances with Alavés, confirming himself as one of the most interesting profiles in the Liga. His impact in England was immediate: on his league debut, last Saturday, he provided an assist coming off the bench in the 2-0 victory away at Oxford United, contributing to bringing Birmingham closer to the top six positions. Vicente finally reaffirmed his main objective: to contribute to the club’s promotion. «This is an enormous challenge, one of the biggest of my career. Birmingham City and its people deserve the Premier League. I am a vertical player, I like to attack the spaces, to score and to provide assists, but also to help in the defensive phase. I want to give all of myself to reach the objectives that the club has set itself». Brady’s phone call decidedly served its purpose.