James Trafford is now seriously contesting Jordan Pickford for England's number one jersey, with Leeds United's goalkeeper impressing Thomas Tuchel despite a recent error against Bournemouth.
Trafford, who has a Premier League high save ratio of 80.5% so far this season, was handed two starts by Tuchel during the last international break, including against Spain. The England manager regards the Leeds keeper as having the potential to be his next No1 and successor to Pickford.
Farke's confidence in Trafford
Leeds boss Daniel Farke is clear on Trafford's quality. "For me, he's the most promising young goalkeeper in the UK and he has all potential to be England's number one, one day."
Farke has more than once referenced the "aura" the 24-year-old exudes onto the pitch and into teammates. Bosnian centre-back Tarik Muharemovic has eulogised over his quality, stating he instils confidence into the defence and is already his own personal choice for England number one.
Leeds paid a club-record £40m to sign Trafford over the summer, with boardroom chiefs paying special attention to make sure the transfer got over the line.
Trafford's error and response
Trafford's pass straight to Justin Kluivert, who set up Evanilson for the opening goal in the 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth, was reminiscent of a similar give-away while featuring for Man City against Tottenham Hotspur 14 months ago.
Farke described it as an "own goal". But he does not want Trafford, whose pass accuracy sits at a moderate 65.1%, to alter his ways. "He shouldn't change too much just after a mistake, because then he also takes away many strengths of his game," he said afterwards.
"It's the life of a football player that the sun is not always shining, and especially in the life of a young goalkeeper."
Pickford's response and rivalry
Pickford has responded with back-to-back victories over Newcastle, keeping a clean sheet in the 1-0 win at St James' Park. Since David Moyes returned to Everton in January 2025, only Arsenal (31) and Manchester City (28) have kept more clean sheets in the Premier League than the Blues (20).
There is a healthy rivalry between the two goalkeepers, the pair getting on well while away on international duty. Trafford told the Everton star last month: "It's obviously a goal of mine to be England's No1. My dream's always been to play for England and it's something you work towards everyday."
By the time the home European Championships come around, Trafford will be 26 and Pickford, 34. Pickford remains No1 for now, but Trafford is seen as better technically and is regarded within the Football Association as the next big hope.
