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Man City will complete a £27million deal for Trafford to return to the Etihad
James Trafford spent his younger years rounding up sheep and playing outfield in Carlisle United's academy. Now he has eyes on the Manchester City number one spot.
The keeper will return to the Etihad two years after departing for Burnley with Pep Guardiola's side paying £27million to bring him back.
Plenty of people, perhaps even Trafford himself, felt being first choice at City was inevitable when he was rising through the ranks in Manchester. He had long been tipped for the top and the 22-year-old has always had faith and confidence in his ability in a way that goalkeepers often do. Think Joe Hart or Jordan Pickford.
Like those two England internationals Trafford, who is a regular in senior squads but is yet to win a cap, owes a debt to the EFL. Having been spotted as a young midfielder by Carlisle United he volunteered to go in goal as a nine-year-old and within two years City came calling. Later in his career Trafford spent time on loan at Accrington Stanley and Bolton Wanderers before making a name for himself at Burnley last season.
His run of 12 successive clean sheets for the Clarets fuelled their promotion to the Premier League and thrust Trafford into the national conversation after NFL great JJ Watt, who has a stake in Burnley, promised to come out of retirement if the keeper maintained that record until the end of the season.
That didn't materialise with the astonishing run ended at 1,132 minutes, but Trafford had been exchanging messages with Watt warning him to get back in training.
That's a sign of the self-belief Trafford has always had, as Pep Guardiola will know only too well. In 2020 during training at City, the Etihad boss stepped up to take a penalty in a post session shoot-out.
Trafford explains what came next: “I like to have a bit of banter and Pep was taking a penalty and he said, ‘You can have anything you want if you save it.’ "I said, ‘Can I start on the weekend?’
"He was laughing but I saved it! I didn’t start unfortunately.”
At Burnley, Trafford was well liked and respected in the dressing room and despite his belief in his ability he remains humble and grounded.
Part of that will no doubt come from his family. Growing up on a farm in rural Cumbria, a stone's throw from fellow Premier League keepers Dean Henderson and Scott Carson, Trafford regularly helped out as a kid. His favourite job was rounding up the sheep.
“My family are the main part of why I am here as a professional footballer,” Trafford said speaking to the Telegraph earlier this year. “I moved away at 12 but still came home every week and mum had to drive me at ridiculous hours to Manchester or the train station.”
Trafford joined City and went to school at St Bede's but returned home at weekends. As he developed his potential became clear. Cole Palmer, a contemporary at club and international level, has long been a fan of the keeper saying during England Under-21s European Championship victory in 2023: "He is so good. I've always said to him – even when we were little – that he is going to be world-class. That's what I think anyway."
It was a view echoed by City youth coaches, who felt he could become England's number one. Loan spells at Accrington and Bolton accelerated his development. His spell at the former was far from straightforward but he impressed at Bolton in League One and caught the eye of Burnley under City great Vincent Kompany.
A deal was done with City in 2023 but Trafford, and Burnley, struggled in the Premier League and the keeper found himself out of the side for the final 10 games of the campaign as Burnley were relegated. Trafford and Burnley regrouped and stormed the Championship last season under Scott Parker.
Long-term admirers Newcastle United came in for his services and City, ever the masters of clauses in sales, swooped to exercise one and matched the Magpies offer and bring him back to the Etihad.
He'll now compete with one of his heroes - Ederson - to be City's starting stopper come the opening weekend of the Premier League season against Wolves.
It's a return to where Trafford always hoped he would be. His confidence, belief and work-rate help him improve further, his humility and attitude can keep him there.
We'll leave the last word to Kompany, who knows a thing or two about success at City: "England is very lucky to have a young goalkeeper like him to come through."
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