‘I got his shirt’ – Carragher on Malta & Lewandowski

Not many League One defenders can say they have gone up against one of the best strikers in world football, but James Carragher can – and he has the shirt to prove it.

Wigan Athletic’s Carragher, son of former Liverpool and England centre-back Jamie, qualifies to play for Malta through his great-grandfather and made his international debut for them earlier this year.

He won his second cap away against Poland, when Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski featured as a second-half substitute with the hosts winning 2-0.

“I was disappointed that he wasn’t playing [from the start] and I wanted him to play, I was a bit gutted,” Carragher told BBC Radio Manchester in March.

“Then when I saw he was coming on at least I can say I’ve played against him and I got his shirt after the game.

“I’ve got my own shirt from the first game, then his from the second one and hopefully it’s something I will have for a long time.”

Carragher, who will be 23 on Tuesday, may have a second chance to take on Lewandowski – who has scored 87 international goals in 161 caps and is a former Champions League winner with Bayern Munich – again on Monday when Malta host Poland in a World Cup qualifier.

Jamie Carragher was a one-club man and made 737 appearances for Liverpool, winning the Champions League, Uefa Cup, two FA Cups and three League Cup titles in a glittering career which also included 38 England caps.

James initially followed in his father’s footsteps and was on Liverpool’s books from the age of eight before moving to Wigan’s academy six years later, with his professional debut for the Latics coming at 18.

After loan spells at Oldham Athletic and in Scotland with Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Carragher junior’s breakthrough season at Wigan came in 2024-25 – with a chance of international recognition then coming out of the blue.

“It’s something I didn’t expect a few months ago,” said Carragher after his international debut. “They [the Malta Football Association] got in touch with my dad and my agent to see if I was properly eligible and once that got cleared up it was a no-brainer for me to go and play.

“It’s through my great-grandad, my dad’s grandad, and he is from there, was born there, lived there and then moved over to Liverpool.

“My nan and dad had been there before but it was the first time I had been there, so the first time I went I ended up playing for them, so it was a bit of a mad experience.”

Carragher, just like his father, is a tall and strong centre-half who can also operate at full-back, and also featured in Malta’s goalless qualifier against Lithuania in June.

However, his last international experience was a tough one as Malta were swept aside 8-0 by a rampant Netherlands outfit, with Premier League players Virgil van Dijk, Xavi Simons, Donyell Malen and Micky van de Ven among the Dutch scorers.

A thigh injury in August kept Carragher out of action for more than two months, but he has played in each of Wigan’s past three games to earn an international recall for Malta’s qualifiers against Finland and Poland.

In an interview with the Wigan Post, Carragher spoke of the “100% pride” he felt representing Malta and added: “I was buzzing with the games I’ve played. Some have gone well and some haven’t, but it’s just an unbelievable experience.

While James embarks on his own football journey, proud father Jamie is there cheering him on at every step, along with other family members.

Jamie Carragher, who now works as a football pundit for Sky Sports and US broadcaster CBS Sports, spoke of the pride and tension he and his family felt when watching James mark his international debut.

“We had a proper trip, it was the Carraghers on tour,” said Jamie on The Overlap podcast. “I was not nervous, but I could see my dad [James’ grandfather] was a bit nervous as it was a big game.

“Lewandowski came on and [James] was up against him for the last 20 minutes.”

Speaking on CBS Sports in April, Jamie Carragher added: “When your son is playing, you are concentrating, there’s no laughing or joking, you’re laser focused and keeping an eye on everything.

“I would give him seven out of 10 for the first game against Finland, he did really well, and eight out of 10 for his performance against Poland, considering the opponents in a big stadium – it was a brilliant trip.”