Who Is James Trafford? All You Need to Know About England’s U21 Hero and Burnley’s New Goalkeeper

• Burnley have signed goalkeeper, James Trafford from Manchester City on a four-year deal
• He impressed at Bolton, spending two seasons there on loan from Manchester City
• He starred in England’s title win at the European Under-21 Championships

Burnley have strengthened their goalkeeper ranks ahead of their return to the Premier League, signing James Trafford from Manchester City in a four-year contract worth up to £19 million with add-ons.

The treble winners have a 20 percent sell-on clause and a buy-back option within Trafford’s deal.

So who is this talented keeper that Burnley have made their record signing?

Here’s all you need to know about Trafford.

Early life and biography

He was born on October 10, 2002, in Cockermouth, England. He attended Cockermouth School and St Bede's College while growing up.

He started his football career with Cockermouth and Carlisle United. It wasn’t long before the big English clubs discovered his talent, with Manchester City signing the 12-year-old Trafford in August 2015 to be part of their youth system.

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Trafford excels at Bolton

He started his senior career in July 2021 when he moved on loan to Accrington Stanley.

City then loaned him to Bolton on January 13, 2022, with the Wanderers signing him for the remainder of the 2021-22 season.

He started his Bolton career with a bang, recording clean sheets in each of his four matches for the club. He became the first player in Bolton’s history to accomplish such a feat.

He rejoined Bolton on loan for the 2022-23 season, signing a deal with the club on June 15, 2022.

Manchester City made it clear to Trafford that he remained part of their plans, signing him to a new five-year contract in July 2022.

Trafford continued his fine play for Bolton, making more history in his second spell with the club. He broke the Wanderers’ record for consecutive clean sheets at home, posting nine shutouts in a row.

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He finished the season with 26 clean sheets, breaking the record for the most shutouts by a Bolton goalkeeper in a single campaign.

He also recorded a clean sheet in the EFL Trophy Final, helping Bolton nab a 4-0 win over Plymouth Argyle.

Trafford also helped Bolton qualify for the play-offs, but Barnsley eliminated them in the semis.

His performances between the sticks for Bolton in the 2022-23 season earned him the club’s Young Player of the Year award.

Burnley decided to break their transfer record to sign Trafford, paying a £15 million fee with £4 million in add-ons to Manchester City, per the BBC.

Trafford impresses with England

He made his international debut for England on March 24, 2018, in their U17 match against Croatia. He helped ten-man England hold on to a 0-0 draw as he recorded another clean sheet.

He made a total of seven appearances for England’s U17 team. He played twice for England’s U18 team and once for the U19 side.

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Trafford made his debut for England’s U20 team on September 6, 2021, helping the side record a 6-1 victory over Romania at St. George’s Park.

He cemented his status as one of the country’s best young goalkeepers, leading England’s U21 team to the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 title.

He recorded clean sheets in all six matches he played in, the first time that has happened in the tournament's history, per The Guardian.

He saved his best for last in the final against Spain, saving a stoppage-time penalty and the ensuing rebound to preserve England’s 1-0 lead and give the Three Lions the championship.

Onana seals Manchester United move

Sports Brief recently reported on Andre Onana sealing his move to Manchester United.

The Cameroonian goalkeeper will replace David de Gea, who left after 12 years with the club.

His contract will run until June 2028 with the option of a further year.