Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Football, Premier League, Everton, Liverpool, Chinese Super League
Luke Davies
Topics: Football, Premier League, Everton, Liverpool, Chinese Super League
A former Premier League player now lives a very different life and has even changed his name since moving to another country.
When Liverpool-born Tyias Browning (birth name) joined Everton at the age of ten he will have dreamt of playing in the Premier League for the Toffees.
In July 2013, he signed his first professional contract at the club.
And just one year later, in September 2014, Browning, 30, made his debut at Anfield against Liverpool in the Merseyside derby.
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He then made his first start for the club in a Europa League match against Krasnodar in December 2014.
But his playing time was sporadic moving forward, and he was loaned to Preston and Sunderland before penning a permanent deal at Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande in 2019 to the surprise of fans.
Initially, he was registered as a ‘foreign player’ but became a ‘naturalized citizen’ due to his maternal grandfather being from Xinhui County, China.
Despite previously representing England Under-17s, Under-19s and Under-21s, in 2020, he received his first call-up to the Chinese national team but did not feature. He had to wait until the nation’s 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign to make his debut against Guam in May 2021. Now, he sports 32 caps for the nation.
In 2022, he transferred to Shangai Port and has since won two Chinese Super League titles in 2023 and 2024.
Browning even changed his name to Jiang Guangtai.
Speaking to the Mirror in 2019, he opened up about his move to China.
“People were saying I was a bit young to come to China but I came here for a new challenge and I’m enjoying it,” he said.
The defender also praised his former manager Fabio Cannavaro who managed Guangzhou during his spell at the club.
“You couldn’t ask for anyone better to work with as a defender,” he added.
“He’s very helpful when it comes to individual work. Hopefully I’ve many more years of working with him. I feel I’m improving, especially now I’m getting more game time.”
Browning shared a dressing room with former Chelsea and Brazil international Oscar during his spell at Evergrande as well as playing alongside former Spurs and Barcelona midfielder Paulinho.