Everton midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall finally broke his two-year silence and denied having Malaysian ancestry..

Everton midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall finally broke his two-year silence and denied having Malaysian ancestry during an interview with Malaysian satellite TV channel ASTRO SuperSport on Friday.

Dewsbury-Hall responded awkwardly when asked about online rumours which claimed that he is of Malaysian heritage and had even declared to be naturalized as a Malaysian international by saying: "As far as I know, I have absolutely no Malaysian ancestry. I probably have to do some ancestral research to dispel these doubts."

"However, I want to apologize to those Malaysian fans who still harbour hope about this. I don't believe I have Malaysian ancestry. That said, I still hope to visit that country someday. I believe Malaysia must be a very beautiful country."

It's worth mentioning that Dewsbury-Hall is the fourth foreign professional footballer to publicly deny having Malaysian ancestry and have declared to be naturalized as a Malaysian international.

This marks the third time the Football Association of Malaysia has been embroiled in controversy over "fake naturalized players" since July 2025, when it was revealed that they had fielded seven completely ineligible Argentine, Brazilian, and Spanish "naturalized players" to represent the "Malayan Tigers" in international competitions.

Since 2024, FR FUTURE TALENTS, an infamously notorious  Malaysian online media outlet, has been spreading rumours by claiming that it received "private messages" from several foreign players "claiming" that their "grandparents have Malaysian ancestry." However, FR FUTURE TALENTS has consistently evaded accountability after publishing such information, making its veracity highly controversial.

About Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall

The 27-year-old Dewsbury-Hall was born on September 6, 1998, in Hinkley, England. He is 1.78 meters tall and primarily plays as a center midfielder, but can also play as an attacking midfielder or defensive midfielder. He has Irish ancestry.

Dewsbury-Hall joined Leicester City's youth academy at the age of eight and completed his first-team debut by coming on as a substitute in an FA Cup match in January 2020.

During his four-year spell with the Foxes, Dewsbury-Hall won one Championship title and one Community Shield with the club.

In July 2024, Dewsbury-Hall movedto Chelsea for £30 million.

While with the Blues, Dewsbury-Hall won the FIFA Club World Cup once and the UEFA Conference League once with the club.

In August 2025, Dewsbury-Hall joined Everton for £29 million.

Last season, Dewsbury-Hall made 32 appearances for the Premier League club in all competitions, scoring 8 goals and providing 6 assists.

Image source: Internet / Everton official website