Burnley keeper James Trafford – who has been called up by Thomas Tuchel – says he gets on well with rival Dean Henderson because they both grew up in Cumbria and they “are different up north”
James Trafford reckons there is a north-south divide in Thomas Tuchel’s squad. Burnley keeper Trafford says he gets on well with rival Dean Henderson because they both grew up in Cumbria and they “are different up north.”
Trafford, 22, said: “Yeah I get along really well with Deano. We speak a lot whether it is on camp or off camp and it was good when I got called up, it means there was somebody from my area – because we are different up north. It’s someone with the same craic really. We can talk about things from up north that nobody else knows, because we’re both from the area.
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“It’s just general craic like. We go to the same gym when we’re at home. Just general things that you get when you talk to someone from your area.” Trafford grew up on his family’s farm in Cockermouth which is famous because it is where England cricket star Ben Stokes grew up.
But Trafford was very dismissive when asked whether he knows Stokes. “Ben Stokes isn’t from Cockermouth, he moved there when he was 12,” said Trafford. Trafford signed for Manchester City when he was 12 and only left two years ago – and worked under Pep Guardiola even though he never made a senior appearance for the club.
The 6ft 6in keeper then had a year playing for Vincent Kompany at Burnley before the City legend took over at Bayern Munich. Trafford says Thomas Tuchel also has the same X factor which makes them different, starting with their attention to details.
Trafford said: “They have an obsession over football. They don’t really leave any kind stone unturned, they prepare you as well as you can so when you go into the game you know more or less exactly what you’re going to face.
“They’re just so motivated, and they inspire you. When they speak, they’ve got such a way with how they speak that you just believe them so much and listen to everything they say.
“I wouldn’t say that’s essential, because they’ll be different managers to them who are successful. It’s just the three that I’ve worked with are all quite similar in that way.”
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