Manchester City has completed the return of James Trafford from Burnley. At 22 years old, the England Under-21 international has signed a five-year contract with the Skyblues.
This is a return to familiar territory for the Greysouthen native, who joined the Manchester club’s academy at the age of 12 but never had the opportunity to play for the first team. Loaned to Accrington in 2021, then to Bolton the following season, Trafford finally left Manchester City in 2023 to try his luck at Burnley.
In his first season at Turf Moor, the young goalkeeper occupied the starting position for much of the season, before Vincent Kompany favoured Arijanet Muric for the last 10 games.
Reborn as number one under Scott Parker in the 2024-25 campaign, Trafford played a key role in the club’s direct promotion to the Premier League, conceding only 16 goals in 45 games. These performances earned him the Championship Golden Glove award and a place in the Team of the Season.
At international level, Trafford has represented the Young Lions 19 times and was included in Gareth Southgate’s preliminary squad for England‘s Euro 2024 campaign.
