James Trafford unsure over his Man City future due to Gianluigi Donnarumma
By Andy Hampson, Press Association
James Trafford admits he was taken aback when Manchester City signed Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Trafford was handed the City number one jersey when he rejected Newcastle to return to his boyhood club in a £27million move from Burnley last summer.
With the long-serving Ederson heading for the exit, it appeared Pep Guardiola had earmarked the 23-year-old for the goalkeeping role long-term.
But after starting the first three Premier League games of the season, the situation changed when City opportunistically brought in Champions League winner Donnarumma from Paris St Germain on deadline day.
The Italian has been preferred since, with Trafford largely having to settle for domestic cup appearances.
Trafford said: “I didn’t expect the situation to happen but it happened.
“I just get on with it. It is what it is, it’s football. You’ve got to keep grafting every day and when the games come, play as hard as you can.”
England under-21 international Trafford, who came through the City youth ranks before joining Burnley in 2023, is less than 12 months into a five-year contract.
Yet given the current circumstances, he is unsure what the future holds.
“Let’s take it a day at a time and try and work as hard as I can and whatever happens, happens,” said Trafford, who featured in Saturday’s FA Cup fourth-round win over Salford.
“I’ve obviously got a contract (but) I don’t know what happens next season. I just know that I’ll just take it a day at a time and try and improve.”
The situation could be damaging to his hopes of making England’s squad for the World Cup.
“Obviously everyone knows what’s going on with me,” he said. “I’ve just got to, whenever I play, play as well as I can.”
Trafford insists he has no personal issues with Donnarumma and is taking the setback in his stride.
He said: “He’s a great fella, he is a lovely man. We both train as hard as we can and try and improve ourselves. Obviously he’s had a great career so far and he’s got great standards.
“Some people (would) find it tough, some people don’t find it tough. I just try as hard as I can and do what I believe I can do.”
On the positive side, Trafford has featured in City’s run to the Carabao Cup final and, barring injury, will get a chance to showcase his talents when they face Arsenal at Wembley next month.
“It will be a great game between two good teams,” he said. “It’s just play your game, just help the team play better and whatever the game plan is, try to execute it.”
