Carragher gains citizenship to play for shock European nation
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Jamie Carragher has been retired from professional football since 2013, but his son, James, is a defender for Wigan Athletic who is now able to play for an international side that isn't England.
James Carragher played for Liverpool's academy until the age of 15 before moving to Wigan, where he has since risen through the ranks into the first team. Loan spells at Oldham and Inverness Caledonian Thistle have followed, with the 22-year-old finally establishing himself in the Latics' first team this term.
An international call-up could soon be on the way for the towering centre-back, too, though not for England. Carragher junior hasn't played for any of the Three Lions' youth sides, while he would need a rapid rise in development to force his way into Thomas Tuchel's squads over the next couple of years.
Carragher eligible to play for European nation that isn't England
As a result, Carragher has looked at alternative ways to play international football, with his Maltese heritage offering him a chance of appearing in World Cup and Euros qualifiers, as well as the Nations League and other friendlies.
Jamie and James were both granted citizenship to Malta due to the former's grandfather and mother both being born on the Mediterranean island. The Liverpool legend revealed in 2020 that "I've got a bit of Maltese blood in me actually," while issuing a safety plea to the country's citizens during the Covid pandemic, alerting the attention of the Malta FA.
Malta FA president Bjorn Vassallo has highlighted the nation is open to welcoming naturalised players to the national team if they are able to strengthen the squad, with discussions with the Carraghers ongoing about James' future internationally.
"We will not shy from signing players internationally; everyone is doing it, so why not us?" Vassallo asked. “We’ve been in talks with James and his father Jamie for the last few months now; he [James] is open to it, but we’re still working on it."
Currently ranked 168th in the world by FIFA, Malta are among the worst teams in Europe, with Andorra, Gibraltar, Liechtenstein and San Marino the only sides deemed worse than them.
Managed by Emilio De Leo, Malta have been drawn against Finland, Poland, Lithuania and either Spain or the Netherlands for World Cup 2026 qualifying, with only the first-place side automatically reaching the tournament.
It's safe to assume that Malta won't qualify for the World Cup, even if Carragher is selected for the squad, with the nation having won a total of just seven games out of 232 matches during qualifying for both the World Cup and European Championship.
Carragher won't be the only player from the EFL to represent Malta, though, with Notts County's Jodi Jones and Reading's Basil Tuma both turning out for the nation in recent times.
