James Trafford has acknowledged that he needs to be playing regular first-team football at club level if he is to eventually become England's number one goalkeeper.
Trafford's Current Situation at Manchester City
This summer, Trafford found himself as the backup to Gianluigi Donnarumma after Manchester City signed the Italian goalkeeper late in the previous transfer window. This was despite Trafford having joined City from Burnley earlier in the same window, with the understanding from then-manager Pep Guardiola and the club's recruitment team that he would immediately become their first-choice goalkeeper.
Trafford has stated that he learned a great deal from Guardiola, even though he primarily played in cup competitions. Guardiola has since departed City, with former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca set to replace him.
England Aspirations
The 23-year-old is currently at the World Cup as England's third-choice goalkeeper, but he has his sights set on becoming the number one—a position that Jordan Pickford, with 84 caps, has held since 2017.
“Just because you play for a certain club doesn't mean that you automatically play for the national team — you have still got to show your level, you have still got to perform at the highest level,” Trafford said.
“When I did move, if I had become England's number one for the tournament, it would have been brilliant. I'd have been very happy, but obviously I didn't. They obviously ended up signing Gigi, and I didn't play the majority of the games, and that’s football.”
Importance of Being Club No1
When asked whether being the first-choice goalkeeper at club level is essential for earning the same role with England, Trafford replied: “History says yeah. I think there hasn’t been a goalie start for any of the top nations that isn't a No1 at the club, so going off history, I'd say yes.
“You never know, whether I move, whether I don't move, I do what's right for me and my career.”
World Cup Focus
Discussing his role at the World Cup, Trafford said: “No one's an idiot. The whole goal is to win the World Cup, so everyone is going to do their best to try and win the World Cup and whether that's you play every single minute or don't play a minute, everyone is here to support each other to win the World Cup, because what a massive achievement it is to win the World Cup. It only happens every four years. That means everyone pushing towards the same goal.”
