The goalkeeper is on loan at Bolton Wanderers in League One this season but returns to their parent club City once a week.
James Trafford believes his return to training with parent club Manchester City one day a week is nothing to focus too much about during his spell in League One but that it is something he has done during his time away from Pep Guardiola’s side and is nice to keep in touch with his parent club.
Trafford has recently just turned 20 and is spending the season out on loan at Wanderers for the season. It follows a second-half successful spell at the Whites last campaign, which had followed a spell at fellow League One club Accrington Stanley.
He has committed his long-term future to City by signing a new five-year deal with the Premier League champions and has made no secret of his desire to one day be the first choice at his parent club. With the new contract, City clearly sees him as a big part of their future.
One of the measures recently adopted at Wanderers is the League One side has agreed to let Trafford head back to his parent club on Bolton’s day off during the week, which has been a Thursday of late, to gain further coaching time. It followed a discussion Wanderers boss Evatt held with City goalkeeping coach Xabier Mancisidor.
Trafford does not believe the move is a big deal, however, given it is something he did at times during the first half of last season when he was at Stanley. But he admits the move allows him to catch up with those at City, which he enjoys.
The goalkeeper is playing for a Wanderers side that has the ability to employ differing formations, including the 4-3-3 favored at City, as well as a 3-5-2. Trafford believes getting used to different systems is all part of his development and something all the top teams do to have more than one string to their bow.
Of his City training return, Trafford told the Manchester Evening News: “It isn’t anything, really. I did it last week but nobody caught on in the press about it.
“I did at Accrington too sometimes. It is nice to catch up with the City lot.”
He added: “It (different systems) doesn’t make too much difference, to be honest, because when we play as a back three I join in as a center-back, so it is like a back four anyway.
“Playing 4-3-3 like I grew up with at City and how we sometimes play here, or the 3-5-2, it is just all another point in my development.
“All the top teams don’t just have one system and stick to it. They have different shapes with different players.”
