Shilen Patel shares Tom Brady influence after West Brom takeover
Shilen Patel explained the influence NFL great Tom Brady had after he completed his takeover of West Brom last month.
Along with his father Kiran Patel, Shile Patel completed a deal to acquire an 87.8% stake in the club – a deal that was ratified on February 28 (Sky Sports).
It becomes the latest American investment in English football with Brady – a legendary quarterback who won seven Super Bowl rings (six with the New England Patriots, one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) – involved at West Brom’s rivals Birmingham City.
Patel, a Buccs fan, acknowledged Brady has brought more attention to US investors and said he would love to watch a game with him.
Speaking to BBC West Midlands (13 March), he said: “It’s good for the Championship to have Tom Brady involved. It instantly put this whole league on the radar for a lot of people who weren’t thinking about it before.
“Hopefully Albion will now have a pace of success that’s greater than theirs. It would certainly be nice to take in a game together with him. And hope that he goes home the unhappier!”
Shilen Patel talks Tom Brady influence after West Brom takeover
There has been a big influx of American involvement in the English game in recent years, with the likes of Liverpool, Leeds United and Manchester United under American ownership.
It does not take a genius to figure out why Brady’s involvement at Birmingham drew so much interest given his standing as one of the all-time sporting icons of any generation.
West Brom fans will obviously hope he does not achieve the sort of success at St Andrews that he did with the Patriots and certainly right now the Baggies are in a healthier position on the pitch.
With Carlos Corberan’s side sitting fifth in the table, Patel could end the season as the owner of a Premier League club, which would be a fantastic story should it happen. There is a long way to go in this campaign yet, though.
But what’s the point in being a football fan if you can’t dream big?
In other West Brom news, the Baggies will be fuming after a shambolic £900m Premier League update.
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