KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 11 — The prospect of English football player Joshua Brownhill joining Malaysia's national football team has sparked a buzz in football circles.

Currently the captain of Burnley which plays in the second-tier EFL Championship in the United Kingdom, Brownhill’s buzz has mostly been driven by his market value of €15 million (RM77 million).

Mostly called Josh, the 28-year-old recently hinted at his eligibility to don the Harimau Malaya jersey, thanks to his Malaysian heritage.

Born on December 19, 1995, in Warrington, England, the 1.79 metre tall footballer's journey began with Manchester United's youth academy before transitioning to Preston North End in 2012, where he played for their Under-18s squad.

A central midfielder by trade, he was promoted to Preston’s first team a year later and helped them secure promotion to the English Championship in 2016.

After a loan spell with Barnsley, where he made 27 appearances, Brownhill moved to Bristol City in 2016, making 161 appearances and netting 17 goals across four seasons.

His first big-money transfer came in 2020 when Burnley acquired his services for a reported £9 million (RM51.3 million). While Burnley were relegated in the 2022-23 season, Brownhill was instrumental in their immediate return to the Premier League, though they faced relegation again the following season.

His potential connection to Malaysia came to light when football scouting group FR Future Talents shared an email from the player on September 3, revealing his Malaysian roots through his grandmother.

The midfielder expressed pride in this connection and indicated he would consider the opportunity to represent Malaysia if approached.

Brownhill's name has also gained attention partly because he remains uncapped at the international level, making him eligible under Fifa’s Article 6 1(b) and (c) rules. These regulations allow players to represent a country if their parent or grandparent was born there, a criterion he meets.

If he were to join the Harimau Malaya squad, he would be the latest in a growing list of naturalised players to represent Malaysia.

Since 2015, Malaysia has brought in 20 naturalised players, including the likes of Gambian Mohamadou Sumareh, Australian-born Brendan Gan, Brazilian-born Guilherme de Paula, and Colombian Romel Morales.

This comes as national football legend Datuk Dollah Salleh warned that heritage players or players with Malaysian ancestry should only be selected if they are able to make a difference to Harimau Malaya and they should not be randomly fitted into the team.

To date Brownhill has made 172 appearances for Burnley scoring 16 goals while providing 17 assists. In the four games so far this season, Brownhill is his team's top scorer having scored two goals.

He recently scored in their season opener against Luton Town in a 4-1 win then again at Cardiff City in a 5-0 rout of the club owned by Malaysian business tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan.

Apart from Brownhill, three other names are also reportedly being considered as Malaysian heritage players:

Daniel Adshead

  • Age: 23
  • Position: Midfield
  • Nationality: English
  • Current Club: None
  • Represented England at U-18 and U-19 levels

Iggy Houben

  • Age: 19
  • Position: Forward
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Current Club: Jong PSV, competing in the Dutch Eerste Divisie (second-tier football in the Netherlands)

Ferdy Druijf

  • Age: 25
  • Position: Forward
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Current Club: Rapid Wien (Austria)
  • Previously represented the Netherlands at U-17, U-18, and U-20 levels
  • Malaysian heritage: Eligible through his Malaysian mother

Mats Deijl

  • Age: 27
  • Position: Right back
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Current Club: Go Ahead Eagles (Eredivisie)
  • Malaysian heritage: Confirmed his Malaysian roots through his father’s side in December 2023