Malta grants citizenship to Carragher

At 22 years old, James Carragher's career is beginning to gain recognition in England. The centre-back plays for Wigan Athletic in League One, and while his prospects look promising, his immediate priority is helping his side avoid relegation.

Carragher has featured in 26 matches this season, contributing a goal and an assist. This campaign could be a defining one for him at the League One level. While Wigan have no chance of promotion, they are locked in a battle to avoid the drop to League Two, making the Liverpool-born defender's role crucial in the final stretch of the season.

His solid performances have not gone unnoticed by the Maltese Football Association, which is keen to secure his international allegiance. To facilitate this, both James and his father Jamie were recently granted Maltese citizenship, as the former England international's grandparents hailed from the country.

MFA president Bjorn Vassallo addressed the situation in an interview with The Times of Malta: "We have been in discussions with James and his father Jamie over the past few months. He is open to the idea, but we are still working on it. We are not ashamed of pursuing such agreements with eligible players. Everyone does it, so why shouldn't we?"

James Carragher has endured several injury setbacks in his young career, but he now appears to be finding consistency. His father earned 37 caps for England, yet it seems international glory could be in store for his son—albeit with a different nation.