Tom Brady fires back at Eli Manning ahead of Wrexham, Birmingham City match

The gloves have come off in the ‘Hollywood Derby.’ Or maybe it’s the rings?

On Friday, former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning commented on a tweet by Welsh football club Wrexham, which was announcing the two-time Super Bowl winner had joined its fanbase, by saying: “Now I can beat @TomBrady in football and in fútbol!”

With Wrexham set to face Birmingham City on Monday, this was a playful poke at former NFL quarterback Tom Brady, who happens to own 3.3 per cent of the League One team. Both of Manning’s Super Bowl wins came at the expense of Brady’s Patriots, in Super Bowls XLII and XLVI.

Not to be outdone, Brady responded with a short video where he says, “So I’ve been working on a little response video to Eli, and I’ve been looking around the house, and I can’t find the other six of these,” while holding up the Pete Rozelle Trophy, awarded to the MVP of the Super Bowl.

Brady is famous for his seven Super Bowl titles, having appeared in the NFL’s showpiece game 10 times. But of his three losses, two were against Manning and the Giants.

Wrexham and Birmingham City both play in English football’s League One, which is essentially the third division in that country. Wrexham, famously co-owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, has been promoted twice since being taken over by the pair in November of 2020 and is currently tied for the top spot in the table with four wins, a draw and no losses, good for 13 points.

Birmingham City sits in sixth with 10 points, with three wins, a draw and no losses through six games. But the Blues’ fortunes are on a different path than those of the Dragons, having been relegated from the Championship (or second division) last season.

Wrexham has leveraged its Hollywood connections extensively since the new ownership took over, with famous actors such as Hugh Jackman, Will Farrell and Paul Rudd all having attended matches.