James Trafford opens up about return to Manchester City, Ederson's impact on his game

Manchester [UK], August 15 (ANI): Manchester City's latest addition to the goalkeeper roster, James Trafford, revealed that playing for the Blues was his ambition since the age of 12.

Trafford, a 22-year-old English goalkeeper, re-signed for Manchester City after snubbing the interest from Newcastle United. Trafford spent eight years in Manchester City's youth academy before moving to Burnley in 2023.

"It's brilliant for me. Since I joined at 12, playing for Man City has always been one of my goals. Even when my path took me elsewhere--on loan at 18 or moving to Burnley at 20--I always believed I'd come back. I've worked hard to make this moment happen," Trafford told JioHotstar.

Two years later, he found his way home and returned to Manchester from Turf Moor despite interest from other clubs. He established himself as the mainstay under Scott Parker and chalked up 29 clean sheets in 45 Championship matches, conceding just 16 goals along the way.

"I always believed that I'd play for City, and I knew that the only person who could make that happen was me. I always trusted that I'd reach this moment. Now that I'm here, I just have to keep going," he added.

During his stellar run, he maintained 12 consecutive clean sheets and earned a place in the Championship Team of the Year. Trafford, who was a part of the England Under-21 squad that won the European Championships in 2023, explained his approach to the game.

"As a goalkeeper, I am aggressive. I want to win and do everything I can to achieve that, whether it is making saves or contributing in any other way. My main focus is simply to win," he said.

As things stand, Ederson is the current number one goalkeeper with Stefan Ortega serving as his backup. Trafford, who is down in the pecking order, reminisced about the impact Ederson had on him, which helped him develop and improve his game.

"When he first joined, he was extremely talented and one of a kind with the ball at his feet. I looked up to him a lot when I first trained with him at 17, and I tried to take small parts of his game to improve my own. I am excited to work with all the goalkeepers, push each other, and continue improving," he added. (ANI)

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