I left Manchester City for my own mental health

Trafford left Manchester City for Leeds United in summer after struggling with limited playing time under Guardiola, citing mental health concerns.

James Trafford has opened up about his difficult spell at Manchester City, revealing that his mental health suffered during a season in which he made just one Premier League start across 35 matches following Gianluca Donnarumma's arrival.

In an interview with Football Daily's 'The Football Interview' programme, the 24-year-old goalkeeper described the emotional toll of not playing regularly. "What a horrible, horrible feeling. Not being able to play," he said. "You end up calling a lot of people just to vent. Like most people, you have a bad day at work and call someone. I called my father, my mother, my wife, my friends. This season I needed to play regularly for my own mental wellbeing and to keep progressing in my career."

Those struggles prompted Trafford to leave his boyhood club and join Leeds United on a permanent deal in the summer. Now at Elland Road, he is determined to play his way into contention for England's number one shirt. He was part of Thomas Tuchel's squad for the 2026 World Cup but did not feature. "That's my goal and it's something I've always dreamed of," Trafford said. "Every day I try to keep improving so I can one day become England's number one."