Ex-England star gave up on Premier League dream at 24 now goes by new name and has three titles

Tyias Browning was playing for the under-21s a decade ago, but since then, his career has taken an unexpected turn after leaving his boyhood club, , to play in China.

Guangzhou Evergrande, a powerhouse in the Chinese Super League, signed him for £4million in 2019. Despite only making nine appearances for the Toffees, Browning left Merseyside, effectively closing the door on his England career after five outings with the U21s.

Fast-forward five years, and Browning is now a full international for China and a three-time league champion. He joined a team that had won seven of the previous eight titles and would soon sign Jackson Martinez from .

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These days, Browning goes by the name Jiang Guangtai, a change he made after earning a call-up to the Chinese national team through his maternal grandfather, who was Cantonese. After ending his time with Guangzhou, he signed for their rivals, Shanghai Port.

This past weekend, the former Everton player celebrated his second league title with his current club, successfully defending their crown. Among his teammates is ex- and Brazil star , who was part of the wave of players who moved to China seven years ago. Browning's move has certainly paid off, earning a multi-million-pound contract in Asia. While there was significant criticism when players chose to leave Europe for the Chinese Super League, Browning insists the level of play is much higher than many anticipated.

He previously stated: "It's a lot more competitive than what people think, and fans are extremely passionate when it comes to the game of football. There are a lot of things you have to adapt to on and off the pitch, the conditions being one of those, but I feel like I've adjusted to it well."

Browning had a promising career ahead of him when he left Everton, a club known for nurturing young talent. However, he forgoed those opportunities in favour of a new challenge abroad.

"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 revealed to the in 2019. Browning has also expressed his ambition to represent China in a World Cup, a goal he could achieve in 2026.