Cover image via @mikeljau_6 (Instagram)
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Spanish footballer Mikel Jauregizar has denied rumours suggesting he has Malaysian heritage and could represent the national team as a "legacy player"
Speaking to Spanish media outlet Marca, the 21-year-old Athletic Bilbao midfielder said the speculation, which recently went viral in Malaysia, is completely untrue.
"It's impossible (to play for Malaysia). It's a lie," he said.
"My friends sent me a video of a journalist from over there who made up that I had some Malaysian background.
"I'm not going to play for Malaysia. People invent all sorts of things," Jauregizar stated, clarifying that he has no Malaysian roots and calling the claim baseless.
He also acknowledged that while he's active on social media, he prefers staying out of the spotlight.
A "legacy or heritage player" refers to a footballer who has ancestral connections to Malaysia, making them eligible to represent the country's team despite not being born here.
Rumours about him being a potential "legacy player" began circulating after a local journalist suggested a possible link, which later spread across social media
Some fans had speculated that Jauregizar could follow in the footsteps of other heritage players recently recruited into the Harimau Malaya squad.
The Spanish player, whose market value is reportedly close to RM148 million, now joins a growing list of European-based footballers who've been falsely linked to Malaysia.
Just recently, Dutch striker Ferdy Druijf also debunked similar rumours. The former AZ Alkmaar player, now playing in Slovakia, said the claim started from a random Instagram post.
"Yes, it's actually kind of crazy, I have to be honest," he told ESPN Netherlands.
"An Instagram account suddenly appeared with that rumour about Malaysian roots. I didn't do anything about it, but everyone started spreading it.
"I even got more followers on Instagram and realised what was going on. It's a crazy reason. My parents don't even know much about it. So yeah, maybe it would only be revealed if I did a DNA test or something."
