Trafford: I left Man City for Leeds to protect my 'mental wellbeing'

James Trafford has said he left Manchester City for Leeds United this summer because he needed to protect his mental wellbeing after a season largely spent on the bench.

The goalkeeper rejoined City in summer 2025 after two years at Burnley, where Yahoo Sports reports he had enjoyed a successful spell following loan stints at Accrington Stanley and Bolton Wanderers.

He started City's opening three Premier League fixtures of last season, but those hopes of becoming Pep Guardiola's first-choice goalkeeper were undone when Gianluigi Donnarumma arrived from Paris Saint-Germain on deadline day in the same window, according to the Independent.

Trafford was subsequently used mainly in cup competitions and did not feature again in the league until the final day of the campaign, starting a 2-1 home defeat to Aston Villa after Arsenal had already been confirmed as champions.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Trafford described the experience in stark terms. "What a horrendous, horrendous feeling, not playing," he said. "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 explained that the lack of regular football was something he could not sustain for a second season. "I had to play regularly this season for my own mental wellbeing. You just lose yourself not playing," Trafford said. "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 lack of league minutes, Trafford did feature in both of City's domestic cup triumphs last season, starting in the Carabao Cup final win over Arsenal and the FA Cup final victory against Chelsea at Wembley.

Those performances helped earn him a place in Thomas Tuchel's England squad for the World Cup, where he served as back-up to Jordan Pickford, before completing his move to Leeds once the tournament had finished.

The switch to Elland Road was reported to be worth £45m, closing the book on a frustrating second spell at the club where Trafford came through the academy before his loan moves and subsequent transfer to Burnley.

Trafford made clear that, despite how difficult the year was, he still views it as part of a career that is progressing towards goals he has set himself, even if the manner of his City return did not go as he had hoped.