Browne, who is the youngest player at this year’s tournament, has travelled to Japan with OFC Champions League winners Auckland City who are marking their own record with their fourth appearance at the premier FIFA club tournament.
The event could be seen as Browne’s birthday gift as the Port Moresby-born youngster will turn 17 just 11 days after the final on December 16.
Auckland City coach Ramon Tribulietx says his selection of Browne, who has been with the side for three months, provides an opportunity for the young player to gain some experience for the future.
“He is a young boy who is full of talent and speed. How he does things is very good,” Tribulietx says.
“We put him in because we believe he is good enough. He is readjusting to the change between high school football and playing with us in the ASB Premiership, which is a tough competition, and obviously in Japan.”
Tribulietx did not want to reveal his strategy ahead of the knock-out match at Yokohama International Stadium and could not say whether Browne will feature in the line-up.
“But you never know what is going to happen,” he says.
“This is a very well-balanced squad and one that I believe is capable of playing to the particular style of play that we have worked on for a long time.”
Browne himself is relishing the experience and being surrounded by so many talented footballers.
“I’m enjoying the experience. Japan is a nice country, the people are very nice and I’m learning a lot from the experienced players in the squad,” he says.
Browne’s appearance makes him the first Papua New Guinea player to take part in the tournament since Hekari United represented Oceania in Abu Dhabi two years ago.
“I went to a primary school called Living Light College that played football, so I had no choice but to play football, so I loved it a lot. I used to watch YouTube videos of footballers a lot. They boys from the Hekari team I really liked.”
Team captain Ivan Vicelich, who made his All Whites debut in June 1995 just six months before Browne was born, is proud to be representing the club at another FIFA Club World Cup.
“The team has a very strong look to it but it is tricky to compare with teams from the past, though I have no the match against Sanfrecce Hiroshima will be tough,” he says.
Also included in the Auckland City team is former Barcelona forward Manel Exposito, former Costa Rican forward Luis Corrales and former J. League 2 player Takuya Iwata, who will provide an element of interest for Japanese fans.
Iwata is the first Japanese player to don the navy blue of Auckland since Teruo Iwamoto starred for the club in 2006.
Daniel Koprivcic will make his fifth FIFA Club World Cup appearance, a tournament record and he is one match behind all-time club world cup appearance holder Hossam Ashour, who has played seven games.
The team: Ivan Vicelich (captain), Simon Arms, Takuya Iwata, Riki van Steeden, Angel Berlanga, Jason Hicks, James Pritchett, Chris Bale, Manel Exposito, Luis Corrales, Daniel Koprivcic, Alex Feneridis, Adam Dickinson, Albert Riera, Pedro Garcia, Daniel Saric, Emiliano Tade, David Browne, Andrew Milne, Jacob Spoonley (GK), Tamati Williams (GK), Liam Anderson (GK).