NFL great Tom Brady said he felt “deeply grateful” but “kind of old” after the New England Patriots unveiled a 12ft statue of him.

The legendary quarterback was honoured with the towering bronze sculpture outside the Patriots’ stadium in Massachusetts.

Brady guided the Patriots to six Super Bowl titles, before going on to win a seventh with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.

The ceremony revealed the statue of Brady with one arm aloft in triumph – and it was mounted on a six-sided base in a nod to the number of championships he won with the Patriots.

With the base included, the entire height of the construction to the top of the raised arm is 17ft – to reference the 17 AFC East division titles that Brady won as a starting quarterback.

“This is quite overwhelming to me,” the 48-year-old said. “I feel extremely honoured, deeply grateful and, if I’m being honest, kind of old.

“I never dreamed I’d be standing here two and a half decades later made of bronze and frozen in time.”