Summary
James Carragher's decision to play for Malta showcases a departure from his father's legacy with England.
Despite Malta's low FIFA ranking, Carragher Jr. has proven himself defensively solid in his four national team appearances.
Carragher Jr.'s impressive performances for Malta show his potential as a standout defensive player in international football.
It’s been three months since Jamie Carragher’s son, James, accepted a call-up to the Malta national team during the recent international breaks. The 22-year-old, who plays as a centre-back for Wigan Athletic, qualified to represent the island nation through his great-grandfather, and has since gone on to earn four caps for The Falcons.
His decision marks a departure from his father’s path - Carragher senior, a Liverpool legend still regarded as one of the club’s greatest-ever players, earned 39 senior caps for England and featured in three major international tournaments for the Three Lions between 1999 and 2010.
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However, choosing a nation ranked lower in the FIFA standings doesn’t mean the Carragher legacy is dimming. In fact, now is the perfect time to check in on how James has been faring as he continues to cement his place in Malta’s national setup.
How James Carragher Has Performed For Malta
The Wigan Athletic defender has played all four of Malta's games since his call-up
James Carragher
Across both of James' first two affairs, the young defender played a total of 180 minutes in Malta's World Cup qualifiers in March. On his debut, against Finland, he enjoyed plenty of possession, as evidenced by his Malta-best 98 touches, and a more-than-impressive pass success rate of 94% (85/90).
What’s more impressive is that he didn’t keep his ball playing simple at all: the youngster completed 12 of his 16 long balls and his combination of six clearances and 66% success rate in the air highlights that he was defensively robust too. Albeit not as involved against Poland, Carragher still managed to get another impressive display under his belt on the international stage. He enjoyed 45 touches of the ball, an 83% (33/40) pass success rate, of which 11 were classed as ‘long balls’.
His retired defender-turned-pundit father confirmed after his second appearance that he was able to look steady against Robert Lewandowski - one of the best strikers in the world - and managed to get his shirt at the end. He said (see his interview below):
"He started both games. I wasn't sure he would, as that was his first time he's been there. But the first game, against Finland, he should have got something out of it; played really well. And then we went to Poland. We made a proper trip out of it - Carragher's on tour - it was good."
Malta are currently ranked 169th in the FIFA world rankings, with their highest-ever position only reaching 66th. This means James Carragher will rarely get a breather from the defensive grind. That said, he impressed in his third appearance against Lithuania, making 11 clearances and helping his side to a clean sheet and his first positive result for the national team.
Unfortunately, much of that progress was undone in a heavy trip to the Netherlands, where the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Memphis Depay, and Xavi Simons ran the show in an 8-0 demolition. While playing the full 90 minutes in a defence that conceded eight goals is never ideal, the 22-year-old still managed to register five interceptions and block a goalbound effort. Against Ronald Koeman’s well-oiled machine, expectations were always going to be modest.
James Carragher's International statistics
Statistic
Minutes played
Sofascore rating
Passing accuracy
Touches
Ground duels (won)
Interceptions
Blocked shots
Clearances
Errors leading to goals
Malta will resume their World Cup qualifying campaign in September with return fixtures against Lithuania and the Netherlands. Hopes of reaching their first-ever World Cup are already fading, as they sit bottom of their group after four games with just a single draw to show for it.
However, on an individual level, Carragher Jr. is quickly establishing himself as Malta’s standout defensive option after having racked up 33 League One appearances in his sophomore season with Wigan Athletic.
All statistics courtesy of Sofascore (correct as of 11/06/2025)