Thomas Tuchel has rotated his goalkeepers, starting James Trafford over Jordan Pickford in England's 3-2 Nations League defeat to Spain. The manager plans to split the next four matches between the two, creating direct competition for the number one shirt.
Trafford, who made a £40 million summer move to Leeds United, was given the nod for the competitive fixture at Wembley. Tuchel told the 23-year-old he deserved the opportunity after a strong start to the Premier League season as a regular starter. "I feel like I’ve had a great start to the season," Trafford said. "The one thing I’m doing is playing and playing regularly and that’s one thing you have to do to get picked for your country."
Pickford, 32, has been England's established first choice since 2017, earning 91 caps and playing a key role in runs to two European Championship finals and multiple World Cup semi-finals. Tuchel stressed the Everton keeper had "done absolutely nothing wrong" but wants to assess Trafford's level in a competitive environment. The former Manchester City prospect is set to start again away to Czechia on Tuesday night, with Pickford then taking over for the subsequent fixtures against Croatia and the return match with the Czech Republic at Wembley.
England's defeat to Spain was their fifth game conceding three or more goals since the start of 2022, though Pickford was not in goal for any of those matches. The team nevertheless tops their World Cup qualifying group with seven points from three games.
This story first appeared at The Telegraph
