James Trafford Discusses Decision to Join Leeds for Mental Wellbeing After Challenges at Manchester City
James Trafford has revealed that he joined Leeds United during the summer transfer window primarily for his “mental wellbeing” after experiencing limited game time at Manchester City, which left him feeling “horrendous” last season.
The academy graduate returned to City in the summer of 2025 following a two-year stint with Burnley. However, his aspirations to be the club’s first-choice goalkeeper were thwarted when Gianluigi Donnarumma joined from Paris Saint-Germain during the same transfer window.
Trafford initially started in the first three games of the Premier League season until Donnarumma’s last-minute arrival on deadline day. Following this, Trafford became the second-choice keeper, with Pep Guardiola primarily using him in cup matches. In the subsequent 35 league games, he made just one more appearance, which was in the final match of the season against Aston Villa, where City lost 2-1. This match occurred after Arsenal had already clinched the title.
Reflecting on his situation, Trafford told BBC Sport, “What a horrendous, horrendous feeling, not playing. You are ringing a lot of people and just venting. Like most people, you have a [bad] day at work and you ring someone up. I ring my dad, I ring my mum, I ring my missus, I ring my mates. I like ringing my mates and we can just have a good talk about it all. It’s quite funny.”
He emphasized the necessity of regular playing time for his mental health, saying, “I had to play regularly this season for my own mental wellbeing. You just lose yourself not playing. Maybe I’m different, I don’t know, but the feeling of not playing every week, it felt horrendous. I just had to play every week this season for that mental feel-good and to keep progressing with my career and edging me closer to achieving the dreams I want to achieve.”
Despite the obstacles faced during his time at City, Trafford played a crucial role in the team’s achievements last season. He started in the goal during the Carabao Cup final victory against Arsenal and the FA Cup final win over Chelsea at Wembley.
His consistent performances led to his inclusion in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the World Cup that summer, where he served as a backup to Jordan Pickford. Following the tournament, he completed a £45 million transfer to Leeds.
Looking back, Trafford finds value in the challenges he faced, stating, “Going into any season, I always have the highest of hopes and always the belief that it will go the best way it could. Unfortunately, we didn’t win all four trophies. It didn’t go how I expected it to go, but it happens.”
He concluded, “In the moment, I just tried to make the best of it as I could. Looking back, I don’t think it was a disappointing season in the end because I learned so much, I improved so much and I won two trophies in one year. There were moments when I was very down, regretting things and feeling disappointed, but looking back, I’m very thankful for the experience. What an incredible year.”
