James Carragher's son was in international action this month after choosing to represent Malta
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James Carragher
James Carragher of Wigan Athletic(Image: Phil Oldham/REX/Shutterstock)
Jamie Carragher has sent his son James a message following his international debut for Malta. Although the 22-year-old was not born on the island, he qualifies through his his grandfather, Paul Vassallo who was born in the country.
Malta Football Association president Bjorn Vassallo, who doesn't have any relation to Paul, had been in 'talks' with Jamie and his son James over his allegiance. Bjorn said: "We’ve been in talks with James and his father Jamie for the last few months now. We will not shy from signing players internationally. Everyone is doing it, so why not us?"
The Wigan defender received his first call-up to represent Malta in their World Cup qualifiers against Finland and Poland. Wigan on the other hand, were handed a weekend off due to the international break, which saw James feature for Malta.
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The defender, who was named in the starting lineup for the match against Finland, received support from his family as they watched on from the stands. Taking to Instagram after the 1-0 defeat, Carragher wrote: "Very proud of Jamie on your international debut. Didn't deserve to lose son."
James went on to feature again last Monday in the 2-0 defeat to Poland. Speaking about his international debut, the Wigan defender said: "I was quite pleased with my performance, but I know I can play better.
Jamie Carragher and his son James
Jamie Carragher and his son James
"It was just the first match and I need to adapt better with my team-mates and have no doubt that there is a much bigger margin of improvement."
On his decision to represent Malta, James added: "I qualified for a Maltese passport as father’s granddad was Maltese.
"When the Malta FA approached me and asked me if I was interested in playing for their national team it was a no-brainer for me as it allowed me to play international football.
"The lads made me feel welcome right from the start and the coach gave me a lot of tactical information to make sure I adapt well to what he expected of me."