'There’s an opportunity' - England boss Thomas Tuchel floats Leeds United star James Trafford possibility
A key Leeds United figure could be getting another opportunity to impress England boss Thomas Tuchel
England boss Thomas Tuchel has suggested he may again rotate Everton and Leeds United goalkeepers Jordan Pickford and James Trafford.
Pickford is the the first-choice stopper in the England camp but is being made to fight for his spot by understudy Trafford.
During the last international break, during which the Three Lions completed four fixtures, Pickford and Trafford played in two each.
England are due to face Croatia and Spain in Nations League clashes over the next week and there could again be changes between the sticks.
Thomas Tuchel floats James Trafford possibility
Tuchel said: “Traff gets regular starts now, that’s what we wanted. James Trafford did well. They shared the matches last time. I’m not sure what we will do. There’s an opportunity that we maybe do this again.
“I have to speak with our goalkeeper coach. But the goalkeepers, they are a bit of a unit for themselves, and rightly so.
“It’s slightly different [to outfield players], but when do I have a chance to see another goalkeeper, if not in Nations League, if not in high-pressure matches?
“So, we had James against Spain, we asked ourselves, ‘is this fair for James Trafford to straightaway go against Spain?’.
“But I think it’s exactly what we need because what happens if Jordan Pickford is injured? What happens if he’s not available?
“So, it’s better to test it. Jordan knows about this. That we want to use Nations League for exactly that. But at the moment, nothing has changed. At the moment, he’s the number one and he just feels a bit of competition, which is good for him.”
James Trafford’s progress
Trafford made a £40m switch from Manchester City to Leeds in the summer and is benefiting from regular football.
He played second-fiddle to Gianluigi Donnarumma across the Pennines, yet now sits comfortably at the top of the pecking order in West Yorkshire.
Alongside Pickford and Trafford in the Three Lions squad is Brighton & Hove Albion’s Jason Steele, who is uncapped and appears unlikely to see any action.
England will face Croatia at Wembley on Thursday (November 12) and Spain in Madrid on Sunday (November 15).