Jamie Carragher's son, James, has received his first ever international call-up, but it isn't for England. Instead, he has been selected by a surprising nation following a solid campaign with Wigan Athletic. Carragher senior is considered one of the greatest centre-backs in Premier League history, spending his entire career with Liverpool in the top flight. He won a handful of trophies, including the Champions League and his performances with the Reds earned him multiple international caps.
jamie carragher england
He represented the Three Lions on 38 occasions, with his first appearance coming in 1999 and his final cap with England coming in 2010. He was included in the squad for three major international tournaments, but if his son is going to enjoy a similar career in international football, it won't be for England as he's instead been called up for Malta.
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Carragher Will Play For Malta
He's eligible through his great grandfather
In February 2025, it was announced that Carragher had been granted citizenship of Malta as a result of his great grandfather's descent. Now, he's been officially called up to represent the country in there upcoming international matches. The centre-back was born in raised in Liverpool, the city in which his dad represented so well over the years.
Forging his own career as a professional footballer, he joined the Liverpool academy in 2011 and spent six years with the side before moving on to Wigan Athletic in 2017. Aside from loan spells with Oldham Athletic during the 2022/23 campaign and Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the 2023/24 season, he's spent his entire senior career with the Latics.
This campain marked his breakthrough with Wigan, though, and he's become a key figure in the club's first team, playing 22 times in League One. His form with the side has been rewarded with his first ever international call up and he'll represent Malta going forward. Speaking in February after the Carraghers were granted citizenship in the country, the president of the Malta FA, Bjorn Vassallo addressed the chances of the 22-year-old playing for the country and, via quotes shared by talkSPORT, he said:
"We’ve been in talks with James and his father Jamie for the last few months now. He is open to it, but we’re still working on it."
One month later, he has been called up for the Malta national team and only time will tell whether this is the start of a long international career or not.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and accurate as of 15/03/2025