James Trafford #23

Profile

Returned to City - where he started aged 12 - from Burnley last year, after keeping 29 clean sheets in 45 Championship games. He grew up on his parents’ farm in Cumbria, and his move to City in 2015 made the local paper, headlined: “James, 12, signs for mega-rich Man City.” His dad told the Times & Star: “He helps us get the sheep into the field – it's one of his favourite jobs. But I've never said that he must farm. You've got to let them go their own way … we're extremely proud of him.” James junior told the paper: “I'm not nervous. The first-team players are in the same place we train. I've met Gaël Clichy and Vincent Kompany, and I've seen Joe Hart training. It's really exciting." He still keeps his hand in whenever he goes home to the farm. “When I was with dad last time I was bedding up all the sheep and putting hay out for the ones outside. We’ve always done that.”

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