'The family are all booked!' - Jamie Carragher secures tickets to watch son James take on Virgil van Dijk's Netherlands with Malta in World Cup qualifier

Carragher's son James has followed in his father's footsteps as the Liverpool-born star is now a centre-back, playing with Wigan Athletic in League One. James pledged his international allegiance to Malta this year and made his debut this month against Finland before playing against Poland in World Cup qualifiers.

James, 22, will return to action with Malta in June for their World Cup qualifiers against Lithuania and Virgil van Dijk's Netherlands, and the young defender has confirmed that his father Jamie and the rest of the family will be in attendance.

Speaking to The Times, James said of Malta's clash with the Netherlands: "Oh yeah, the family are all booked on that. There’ll be a good crowd from Liverpool going over there as well, so I’m looking forward to that. It is not just Van Dijk but, being a big Liverpool fan myself, there’s [Ryan] Gravenberch, [Cody] Gakpo and a few other lads.

"That’s a big reason why I am playing for Malta, just testing myself against some of the best players in the world. Van Dijk’s probably one of the best centre backs ever, so to say I’ve played against them is a massive achievement."

Carragher Jr has already returned to training with Wigan after finishing up his duties with Malta and is expected to take on Barnsley on Saturday, March 29.