Not many 21-year-olds can say they have played international football, had spells at Liverpool and Manchester City and are now playing in non-league after being spotted on a mobile app.

But Jarma Mohamed's footballing journey is not that of your typical midfielder.

The combative playmaker has been recalled to Somalia's side for their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers with Ghana this month, capping a rollercoaster year for the Liverpudlian.

"My mum was probably fed up with me just booting stuff in the house, so she got me involved as early as I could," Mohamed jokes with BBC Sport as he talks about the start of his footballing journey.

"When I was three she was begging teams to take me because the age that you're allowed is four.

"Eventually someone saw me playing and it turned out to be an Everton scout, so I ended up playing for Everton from four and then at that age between four to nine you can play for a few teams.

"It was at Liverpool and Everton, eventually chose Liverpool at nine, then signed for Man City at 11.

"I came out of Man City and got a scholarship at Wigan, which is one of the best memories of playing football, having a two-year deal, playing day-in, day-out, full-time schedule, staying in digs up in Wigan, travelling up and down the country for away games, performing, picking up the armband a few times, FA Youth Cup, things like that."

Mohamed featured alongside players including Jayden Danns at Liverpool and England stars Rico Lewis and Nico O'Reilly at Manchester City.

He was released by Wigan in 2024 and spent time in non-league football with Bamber Bridge and Newcastle Town.

His career came to a crossroads in the summer, when Isthmian League South Central side Jersey Bulls spotted him on an app for footballers.

"I was thinking what do I want to do?," he said.

"I could go abroad and do something, but I wasn't really too sure and I'd been playing showcase games with a company called Player, who basically put players in front of teams, they have an app, which is like a LinkedIn for footballers.

"Jersey Bulls were on the app looking for players and, long story short, the owner of Player put me in contact with Jersey Bulls.

"I know the club's amateur and no-one gets paid, but we worked out a job that aligns with the things that I do, obviously me having Uefa C licence coaching is something that I'd easily do and I've come over and done it."

Mohamed now works as a youth coach in the island, while also anchoring the midfield of a Jersey Bulls side riding high in the eighth tier of English football.

Born in Toxteth, Mohamed's Somalian grandfather moved to Liverpool, part of a large Somali community in the city.

It is that heritage that has allowed him to play for a side ranked 200th in the world - the lowest of any team to progress to Afcon's final round of qualifiers.

He made his Somalia debut against Mauritius in March as the Ocean Stars reached the final qualifying stages for Afcon for the first time in their history - they beat the island nation on penalties after two goalless draws.

"It was a random Wednesday afternoon in my kitchen and I was made up," Mohamed says of the moment he was asked to first join the Somalia squad earlier this year.

"I could physically see the community close to home, and going out to the camp and experiencing what that's like, it really lit a fire that I didn't even know I could get as far as trying to push my football career."

He is part of a Somali squad made up of more players from the global diaspora than those born in the country itself.

Having reached the qualifying stage for next summer's tournament, the lowest ranked side left face a tough group against three-time champions Ivory Coast, Gambia and Ghana - who have won the tournament four times and drew 0-0 with England in the group stage of this summer's World Cup.

"Everyone's from different parts of the world, you have lads who are Dutch, from Finland, Italy, there's another scouse with me in the team," Mohamed said.

"When we're all there, and even lads who are local and playing in the Somali league, everyone's just one family.

"That's one thing which we're really good at, we're together as a team, there's no egos.

"Everyone's just really together and wanting to get results for the country, which I feel is very important."

In their first two qualifying matches Somalia have not let themselves down.

Gambia scored an 83rd-minute winner to overcome them in their opening game, while an Ivory Coast side boasting Real Madrid's summer signing Yan Diomande, Atalanta's Franck Kessie and former Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe scored in the 89th minute and the fifth minute of added time to earn a 2-0 win.

It means the Somalis are second from bottom of their group, on goal difference from a Ghana side managed by former Real Madrid boss Carlos Queiroz who have lost their opening two matches.

With the tense security situation in Somalia, the Ocean Stars have played all their qualifiers away from home and will face Ghana in their back-to-back matches in Accra.

So how will Mohamed, who plays in front of sparse crowds in small grounds in the area south of London, approach facing opponents who ply their trade in the biggest leagues in the world?

"The same way I treat every game, you can only play what's in front of you," he added.

"If you play the name or an occasion you're losing before you've even kicked a ball.

"I just play who's in front of me and keep it at that.

"You know the players' levels, the qualities that they have that you have to respect, but you also have to back yourself.

"You're sharing the same pitch for a reason, it's not by accident."

And can the Ocean Stars make next summer's tournament in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania?

"The aim is to qualify," he added.

"If you come to do nothing less than that you may as well stay home.

"In the two games we've had previously against Ivory Coast and Gambia we've shown that we can compete.

"If you come to play for the experience or 'we're just happy to be there', then there's no point in coming.

"We need to come to try and win."