Burnley manager Scott Parker explained James Trafford’s confidence and boundless potential following his recent heroics against Sunderland.
The Manchester City academy graduate recently saved two penalties in the final 10 minutes to secure a goalless draw against their fellow Sky Bet Championship promotion candidates.
Trafford is another elite talent from City’s growing crop and his season-long heroics have helped Burnley keep 19 clean sheets in the championship this season yet Parker thinks his goalkeeper has room to grow.
‘‘This is a special keeper, to be honest with you.
‘‘He’s a boy with with absolutely humongous potential, I still think there’s so much more to come from him’’.
Trafford leads the best defense in English football; he’s conceded just nine goals in 29 game so far and has the Championships highest save percentage at 86.2%.
His elite performances are in contrast to the season prior where the 22-year-old initially struggled following his £15 million arrival from Manchester City.
Across his 28 2023-24 Premier League appearances, Trafford kept just two clean sheets for Vincent Kompany’s relegated side.
However, Parker says he’s seen his game grow and mature since his early struggles.
‘‘He had some hard times and some challenging times but I’ve seen him develop over the last three or four months. I think he’s maturing. I think he’s starting to understand certain things.’’
‘‘I have seen real development in his maturity, he’s understanding the game easy, understanding when to play, when not to play, and mixing up of his game’’
The England-youth hero is one of Manchester City’s best youth products; his innate confidence has been on display throughout his teens and early adulthood.
Following a poor stop off at Accrington Stanley, Trafford joined Bolton on loan in the second half of their 2021-22 League one campaign and again in 2022-23, flourishing under the management of Ian Evatt.
He kept six consecutive clean sheets and saved a last-minute penalty in the final of England’s U21 2023 European Championships, helping lead Lee Carsley’s side to glory- the number one told all of his friends he was going to save a spot-kick on the morning of the game.
His brewing confidence and know-how at the age of 22 astonishing. Parker backed his dark arts which saw him go down for cramp and delay Sunderland’s Wilson Isidor’s season-defining penalties before palming them away with aplomb.
‘‘To get to the top, top level, you need to have that certain belief, and that time, certain arrogance. He’s got that, and he backs it up with what he does in between the two posts, he’s been first class.
‘‘And like I said, I don’t think there’s probably a better goalkeeper in and around this division in terms of keeping the ball out, isn’t it?’’
The Cumbrian-born star is another elite City academy graduate to leave and find success elsewhere, following in the footsteps of Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Liam Delap.