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Manchester City sold two academy goalkeepers in the summer of 2023 but only one of them has made it back to the Etihad.
In July 2023, two academy goalkeepers born a month apart left Manchester City for a chance to establish themselves elsewhere. Two years on, one has just returned to the Etihad for £27million, while the other is finally seeking lift-off in a loan spell with Barnet in League Two.
In their early years together in the City academy, James Trafford and Cieran Slicker rotated in goal in what was a stacked group of shot stoppers at the club. Gavin Bazunu was only seven months older than Slicker and eight months older than Trafford, while Louie Moulden, a month younger than Bazunu, was also involved.
It says a lot about City's ability to develop players that all four are still carving out careers for themselves. Moulden is competing for the No. 2 spot at Norwich City, Bazunu is back in goal at Southampton, and Slicker is getting games at Barnet as he tries to make it at Ipswich.
But it's Trafford that looks likely to go the furthest, having made his City debut in the 4-0 win at Wolves on the opening weekend of the Premier League season and retained his spot against Spurs, albeit enduring a difficult afternoon in a 2-0 defeat. Slicker, his former rival in age-group sides from under-13 onwards at City, had a better day, keeping a clean sheet as Barnet beat Cheltenham 1-0.
That was the eighth competitive club game of Slicker's senior career, to go with a Scotland debut earlier this summer. In contrast, Trafford was playing the 158th game of his own career. There is a reason their development paths have diverged.
In the City youth ranks, Trafford won the rotation battle. Slicker played in the FA Youth Cup final win against Chelsea in 2020 because Trafford had been promoted to the first-team squad due to an injury to Zack Steffen.
Injuries hampered Slicker as well, however. Having been with City since the age of seven, he got a chance to make an impression in a friendly against Preston in July 2021, only for his debut to be cruelly cut short.
“It was in pre-season and I have come on for Zack," he said. “A through ball came in and it's 50-50 and I got knocked out. I lasted about 11 minutes. It took me about a week or two to recover but I was fine after that."
Slicker was with the first team for much of that summer but never hid his true inspiration when it came to goalkeeping. When away with Scotland Under-21s four years ago, he named Joe Hart as his idol.
"Joe Hart was my hero growing up. When I was younger I was a ball boy at City too so I used to watch him up close," he said. "I tried picking up as much as I could.
"Over the past few years, I have spoken to him quite a lot. I was lucky enough to be able to be in a position to speak to him. Joe is a great guy and a great goalkeeper as well, with a great career behind him."
Oldham-born Slicker grew up supporting City and lived the dream, spending more than a decade at the club as he witnessed first-hand the transformation from training at Platt Lane to the £200million City Football Academy.
He relished those training sessions with Guardiola and the club's goalkeepers as he tried to make his own breakthrough at his boyhood club.
Speaking to the media in Scotland while still at City, he said: “Pep is the best manager in the world so I’m taking as much as what he's saying to the team on board for me, and trying to bring that with me for the rest of my career.
“The keepers are the main ones (influences). Like Scott [Carson], Zack, Eddie [Ederson]. They've been great for me. Even just watching them, being close to them I learn so much.
“It's ridiculous. The speed of the game, the little 5-a-side games you play, if you are not switched on 100 per cent you are going to know about it for sure.”
Slicker was an unused substitute in Guardiola's first team on seven occasions in the 2021/22 season, when Trafford was out on loan at Accrington Stanley and then Bolton Wanderers.
He left City for Ipswich two years ago for an undisclosed fee and penned an emotional message on Instagram when his departure was confirmed.
"Thank you, City. After 13 years, it’s time to say goodbye. Thank you to everyone that has played a part in creating the man I am today," he wrote.
"From my coaches, to the backroom staff to my teammates, you’ve given me friendships, memories & learnings for life. I remember my first training session at Platt Lane, aged seven, like it was yesterday & what was to follow has been special to say the least.
"Having times sharing the pitch & dressing room with players I’ve looked up to growing up has been so valuable, the learnings I’ve been able to take from the best players & manager in the world is something I’ll take with me for the rest of my career.
"It’s been an honour to wear the City shirt and represent the club that I love. Once a blue, always a blue."
He's since signed a new contract with the Tractor Boys and hopes a full season of first-team football in the EFL will aid his development.
He will also aim to add to an unexpected first Scotland cap in June, a dream moment that didn't go to plan after an early mistake. He came on to replace Angus Gunn during an injury crisis in the goalkeeping ranks.
Speaking after his move to Barnet was confirmed, he said: "I'm ready, I've been ready for a few years but things have happened and I've had to wait for it. I've had two really good years at Ipswich, developing and being part of the Championship promotion, which was amazing. I learnt so much, I've been around winners and seen how they've done things."
After seven years together at City, Trafford and Slicker have gone down divergent paths since leaving, but the latter will be hoping to make up for lost time now he has the chance to play regular football. For Trafford, the battle is to usurp Ederson (or even Gianluigi Donnarumma) back at the Etihad.
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