James Carragher, son of former Three Lions and Liverpool star Jamie Carragher, has been handed his first international call-up ahead of the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. However, this call-up is not with England but with Malta.
The 22-year-old defender will represent a different nation than his father. The Wigan man was recently named in Malta's latest squad by Manager Emilio De Leo for the World Cup qualifiers against Finland and Poland this month. This marks James' first international call-up for any nation at any level.
Interestingly enough, Jamie Carragher could have also represented Malta as both his mother and grandfather are Maltese. Last month, both father and son were awarded Maltese citizenship - paving the way for James to be selected.
Jamie Carragher’s legacy
Jamie Carragher Sr., however, chose a different path during his playing career. He won 38 caps for the Three Lions and was part of squads that competed in Euro 2004 as well as both the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.
He played all England matches except one in 2006 while starting off with two matches at the beginning of 2010's tournament. His final England appearance came during a goalless draw against Algeria in South Africa.
Despite receiving two yellow cards from those initial games which led to him being suspended from England's victorious match over Slovenia (1-0), he remained on bench during their defeat (4-1) to Germany under Fabio Capello’s management.
Anticipation surrounding James’ call-up
James' selection by Malta is far from surprising given previous hints dropped by Bjorn Vasallo, President of Malta's FA last month:
Bjorn Vasallo, President of Malta FA, 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."
James Carragher will now be aiming to make his debut at the National Stadium in Ta'Qali on March 21, marking a significant milestone in his football career. This development is sure to intrigue sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts alike as they watch James Carragher carve out his own path in international football, distinct from that of his father's.
