James Trafford knows the route to the England No1 jersey runs through regular club football — and admits his first season at Manchester City fell short of that ambition.
The 23-year-old, who heads into the World Cup as Jordan Pickford's understudy, won a domestic cup double with City, lifting both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. But his Premier League minutes were scarce after the club signed Gianluigi Donnarumma, leaving Trafford on the bench for most of the campaign.
“James Trafford admits he must be a club No1 to challenge Jordan Pickford for England's starting spot.”
“It was obviously very tough. Some days were harder than others,” Trafford said. “I thought I’d had a lot of experiences up to this point in my career, but this was a new experience for me in everything.”
When asked whether he needs to be a club No1 to claim the England shirt, Trafford pointed to history. “I think history says yeah, I think there hasn’t been a goalie start for any of the top nations that isn’t a number one at the club,” he said. “So, going off history, I’d say yeah.”
Trafford moved to the Etihad with the aim of becoming City’s first-choice keeper and eventually England’s No1. Instead, Donnarumma’s arrival relegated him to a backup role. “It’s obviously been very challenging the past season, but looking back, I’ve learned so much, I’ve developed so much,” he added.
Despite limited league action, Trafford played a part in City’s cup runs. “Out of the cups, I got as many games as I could, because we got to the final in both,” he said. “At the end of the day, I knew whenever I played I had to perform, and then as long as you perform, then everything takes care of itself.”
Off the pitch, an unexpected controversy has emerged ahead of the tournament. FIFA used England as an example in a refereeing video on how to stop grappling at corners — showing a clip of Adam Wharton blocking at a corner to allow Ben White score in a March friendly against Uruguay. Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel has made it clear he is unhappy with being singled out.
Trafford echoed his manager’s frustration, though acknowledged wrestling at set-pieces is nothing new. “If England have been used as an example maybe it is a bit unfair,” he said. “When the ball comes in I just watch the ball, I don’t know if anyone is grappling.”
For now, Trafford’s focus remains on improving daily, even if the path to becoming England’s No1 requires a move elsewhere. “You have still got to perform at the highest level, and when I did move, if I would have become England’s number one for the tournament, it would have been brilliant,” he said. “But obviously I didn’t. They ended up signing Gigi, and I didn’t play the majority of the games, and that’s football isn’t it?”