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“It’s a long way from Cumbria,” remarked James Trafford after 25 of his friends and family travelled to watch the Manchester City goalkeeper star in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley in March. Many of those same supporters will once again make the 300-plus mile journey this Saturday to see him face Southampton in City’s FA Cup semi-final, and they will hope to return for the final on May 16.

However, Trafford’s best chance of playing regularly at Wembley in the coming years may depend on leaving his boyhood club this summer. Manchester City fans jokingly call Wembley ‘Etihad South’, and it’s not without reason – since the stadium reopened in 2007, City have played there more than any other team except at their own home ground. Saturday’s clash with the Premier League-chasing Saints marks City’s 23rd appearance at the national stadium in the past decade alone.

Yet, even frequent visits to Wembley with City should not satisfy a goalkeeper of Trafford’s calibre if he is not starting every week. His immense talent suggests he should one day be England’s No.1, and the most realistic way to make that happen is by leaving City in search of consistent first-team football.

Making His Mark

The Carabao Cup final win over Arsenal quickly became known as ‘The Nico O’Reilly Final’ after the academy graduate netted both goals in a 2-0 victory. But it was Trafford, another product of City’s academy, who laid the foundation for that success.

Trafford produced a stunning triple-save to deny Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka in the opening minutes, showing remarkable composure in his first appearance at Wembley.

While Mikel Arteta drew criticism from Jamie Carragher and others for preferring Kepa Arrizabalaga over David Raya, Pep Guardiola’s decision to reward Trafford for his impressive performances in earlier rounds proved to be inspired.

Trafford expressed gratitude to Guardiola but couldn’t ignore the underlying frustration — that he had been convinced to return to City from Burnley under the impression he would be the club’s No.1, only for the team to sign Gianluigi Donnarumma late in the transfer window and make him first choice instead.

“It means a lot to have Pep’s faith. It’s a testament to myself, I believe, through how I’ve acted in training and in cup games,” he said. “Every time I play, I give it my best and try to win. It hasn’t been easy at all [not playing regularly] – really tough at times – but I have an incredible group of people around me.”

Unexpected Return

When City re-signed Trafford from Burnley last July, it came as a surprise. He had only one season of Premier League experience, which ended with him losing his place to another City academy product, Arijanet Muric. However, his superb season in the Championship with Burnley — keeping 29 clean sheets in 45 matches while conceding just 16 goals — restored his reputation. Newcastle United were among those eager to make him their first-choice goalkeeper.

City, though, had a buy-back clause in the deal they struck with Burnley two years earlier, allowing them to match any offer. It wasn’t difficult to convince Trafford, who joined City at age 12 but had never played a senior game for them, to return.

“I always dreamed of one day coming back to Manchester City,” Trafford said upon completing his £21 million transfer. “This is home for me. I’m honoured to work under Pep and with such a world-class squad. I’m still young, hungry to learn and improve – and I know there’s no better place than Manchester City to help me become the best goalkeeper I can be.”

Almost Instantly Benched

However, Trafford soon learned how fierce competition under Guardiola can be. After starting City’s first three matches of the season — including a costly mistake in a 2-0 home defeat to Tottenham — Trafford found himself battling for his spot against Donnarumma, a European Championship and Champions League winner.

This was not the scenario Trafford expected. He had initially left City to play regularly, not to return two years later and face the same problem.

When he rejoined City, Trafford likely believed he would challenge Ederson for one season before inheriting the role as first-choice goalkeeper. Instead, Donnarumma’s arrival a month later relegated him down the pecking order.

Since Donnarumma’s debut, Trafford hasn’t featured in a Premier League match, relying instead on appearances in the Carabao Cup, FA Cup, and a single Champions League game.

Learning Experience

Fortunately, City’s strong cup runs have given Trafford valuable opportunities, with the chance to play at Wembley three times this season if City beat Southampton. He could potentially end his first season with two domestic trophies and a league winners’ medal — an impressive haul for any player.

Yet Trafford’s ambitions extend beyond collecting medals. In February, he admitted he hadn’t expected Donnarumma to join and take his place.

“I didn’t expect that situation, but it happened, so I just got on with it,” he explained. “You’ve got to keep working every day and play hard whenever you get the chance. It’s another experience in my career and, overall, it’s been good learning.”

Even though he offered a standard reply when asked about his future — “Let’s take it a day at a time and work as hard as I can; whatever happens, happens” — it was clear Trafford was already contemplating his next move.

In Demand

Despite City’s ongoing success and more Wembley appearances on the horizon, Trafford remains determined to secure first-team football elsewhere. Several clubs are ready to give him that platform. Reports suggest that Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle, Aston Villa, and Tottenham have all expressed interest in signing him, while Juventus have also made enquiries.

Having joined City last summer under misleading circumstances, Trafford must now choose his next club carefully. His future as Jordan Pickford’s successor for England hinges on that decision. Pickford will start at the upcoming World Cup, but by Euro 2028 — co-hosted by the UK and Ireland — he will be 34. That tournament could be Trafford’s perfect opportunity to take over as England’s No.1, continuing the legacy from the 2018 World Cup onwards.

Waiting Game Is Over

Trafford already has international pedigree, having saved a last-minute penalty in England Under-21s’ European Championship final win over Spain in 2023. Guardiola, speaking in February about Trafford’s contribution to City’s Carabao Cup run, immediately referenced his international future.

“England has an unbelievable keeper,” said Guardiola. “In modern football, you need two exceptional goalkeepers in a team because you never know what might happen.”

That may hold true for a club like City, but for Trafford, the time has come to move on. He owes the club nothing and cannot spend another season waiting for Donnarumma to falter. He’s waited long enough — now he must take the next step for the sake of his career and England’s future.