Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford says his return season is not good

Apr 24, 2026, 08:57

Introduction

James Trafford is a 23-year-old goalkeeper for Manchester City. He says this season is a time for him to learn. He also says his choice to come back to the club did not give him the results he wanted.

Main Body

James Trafford learned to play football at Manchester City. He came back to the club from Burnley in July 2025. Last season, he did not let in a goal in 29 of 45 games. He was the best player in the Championship. At the start of this season, he was the first goalkeeper. He played in the first three Premier League games. Then the club bought a new goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, in September 2025. After that, Trafford only played in cup games. He told BBC Sport that the season is "very up and down" because he does not play much. He said his choice in the summer did not give him the good result he wanted. He said he works hard every day and stays happy. In January 2026, manager Pep Guardiola said Trafford''s situation is "special." He said the club will think about letting him leave at the end of the season. Some reports say Aston Villa wants to buy him in the summer. Trafford does not play much in the league, but he plays in cup games. He did not let in a goal in the Carabao Cup final win against Arsenal. He will probably start in the FA Cup semi-final against Southampton. He saved a penalty from Liverpool''s Mohamed Salah in the last round. He played for England for the first time in a friendly game against Uruguay in March 2026. He wants to play in the World Cup. He says he can only control how he plays in the next games. Manchester City is first in the Premier League after a 1-0 win against Burnley. The team can win three trophies again this season.

Conclusion

James Trafford came back to Manchester City, but he does not play much in the league this season. He helped the team win cup games and played for England for the first time. His future at the club is not clear. Other teams may want to buy him. He wants to play for England in the World Cup.

Vocabulary Learning

choice
the act of picking one thing from many選擇
Example:She made a good choice.
happy
feeling good and pleased開心的；快樂的
Example:I am happy today.
hard
with a lot of effort; not easy努力地；辛苦地
Example:He works hard at his job.
learn
to get new knowledge or skill學習
Example:I learn English every day.
win
to be the best in a game or competition贏；獲勝
Example:Our team can win the game.

Sentence Learning

He says this season is a time for him to learn.
This sentence uses the verb 'says' to report what someone said. 'a time for him to learn' means a period to gain knowledge.本句使用動詞'says'來報告某人說過的話。'a time for him to learn' 意指一個讓他學習的時期。
He also says his choice to come back to the club did not give him the results he wanted.
This sentence uses 'did not give' (past simple negative) to show something did not happen. 'the results he wanted' means the good outcomes he hoped for.本句使用'did not give'（過去式簡單否定）來表示某事沒有發生。'the results he wanted' 意指他希望得到的好結果。
Then the club bought a new goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, in September 2025.
This sentence uses the past simple verb 'bought' to talk about a finished action. 'a new goalkeeper' is the object, and the name 'Gianluigi Donnarumma' gives more information about him.本句使用過去式動詞'bought'來談論一個已完成的動作。'a new goalkeeper'是受詞，名字'Gianluigi Donnarumma'提供了關於他的更多資訊。
He told BBC Sport that the season is 'very up and down' because he does not play much.
This sentence uses 'told' to report speech. 'up and down' is a phrase meaning sometimes good and sometimes bad. 'because he does not play much' explains the reason.本句使用'told'來轉述話語。'up and down'是一個片語，意思是有時好有時壞。'because he does not play much'解釋了原因。
He says he can only control how he plays in the next games.
This sentence uses 'can only control' to show a limit on what he is able to do. 'how he plays' is a clause that acts as the object of 'control'.本句使用'can only control'來顯示他能夠做的事情有限。'how he plays'是一個子句，作為'control'的受詞。