JAMES TRAFFORD has ever been bully with his hands.
Right present they are the astir talked astir successful football, with the Burnley keeper, 22, having not conceded for ONE THOUSAND minutes.
INSTAGRAM @burnleyofficial and @efl
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CollectAnd helium has lone fto successful NINE goals each season, keeping 23 cleanable sheets.
And tonight, arsenic Burnley host Sheffield Wednesday, Trafford — the Sky Bet Championship subordinate of the period for January — is aiming for an unthinkable 12th successive shutout.
But those harmless hands person been enactment to different uses — specified arsenic being shoved up the backside of sheep oregon mixing manure with lime!
Trafford was raised and worked connected a North Cumbrian family-run workplace successful the Lake District, wherever his duties included lambing and mucking out.
And helium grimaced arsenic helium told SunSport: “The archetypal clip I did lambing was aged 11. I had to enactment my manus up them and pull.
“That was acold excessively disgusting and, though it was chill to person experienced that, it wasn’t the champion thing.
“I besides had to muck out. We mixed manure with lime to get the close ungraded pH acidity. And being successful the slurry pit was horrible — the stench.
“Only past summer I was helping wrapper fleeces and clipping sheep.”
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Trafford — brought up successful Cockermouth, wherever England Test skipper Ben Stokes lived during his teens — was adjacent driving tractors connected the workplace years earlier helium had a driving license.
He laughed: “About 14 oregon 15, way earlier I was allowed connected the roads.”
Despite his increasing estimation arsenic 1 of Europe’s finest goalkeeping talents, with a big of Premier League clubs hoping to snap him up, the youngster inactive loves getting his hands soiled connected the farm.
He said: “I bask it. I bash it to walk much clip with dada due to the fact that I ever spell retired for luncheon with my mum erstwhile I spell location and he’s ever working.
“When I was with dada past month, I was bedding up each the sheep and putting hay retired for the ones outside.
“We’ve ever done that. I retrieve arsenic a kid connected the tractor wherever he’d beryllium connected the spot and I’d beryllium connected the arm-rest, and our canine would beryllium down there.”
Trafford revealed that, had his gramps had his way, helium would person been a JOCKEY.
The 6ft 6in keeper said: “Grandpa Bill, deity bless his soul. I person 2 cousins past my sister and I.
“Grandpa ever said, ‘He has to beryllium a farmer’ but helium truly wanted 1 of america to beryllium a jockey — but we were each excessively tall!”
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CollectHis dada James Sr was ne'er a football adept but has been learning done watching YouTube videos and going to his son’s games.
Trafford said: “He’s adjacent using football terminology now and I’m thinking, ‘You haven’t thought astir this, you’ve conscionable listened to it and repeating it’.
“But dada loves it for me. As agelong arsenic I’m happy, he’s happy.”
Trafford developed a beardown enactment ethic from his years connected the workplace that stood him successful bully stead arsenic helium progressed through Manchester City’s academy aft being signed from Carlisle aged 12.
And helium went connected to play connected indebtedness astatine Accrington Stanley and Bolton, wherever helium won the EFL Trophy by beating Plymouth astatine Wembley successful 2023, earlier going connected to play successful the Prem past play aft Burnley signed him successful a £19million deal.
Chelsea and England prima Cole Palmer had seen truthful overmuch of Trafford’s heroics arsenic team-mates increasing up astatine City that helium was videoed connected the touchline predicting his aged person would prevention Spain’s precocious stoppage-time punishment successful the Euro Under-21s last successful Georgia 2 years ago.
Not lone did he dive to his close to support retired Abel Ruiz’s spot-kick, helium made an unthinkable reflex halt from Aimar Oroz’s follow-up.
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GettyThat prevention saw the Young Lions triumph the trophy — and helium became the archetypal keeper successful the competition’s history to spell done an full tourney without conceding a goal.
And successful his caller unthinkable run, helium made TWO late punishment saves successful past month’s goalless gully against Sunderland astatine Turf Moor.
Asked if the treble punishment heroics astatine Turf Moor were among helium finest, helium said: “All the sound astir those saves has been large but determination are different things since that person brought maine much enjoyment. Anyone tin prevention a penalty.”
Trafford — who looks set for a summertime determination to Newcastle — was named successful the astir caller England squad that faced Ireland and Greece successful the Nations League successful November.
That was aft helium was successful the provisional Euro 2024 squad but was chopped from the last party.
His call-up came aft helium was axed by then-Clarets manager Vincent Kompany — but Trafford reckons that made him stronger.
He said: “I got taken retired the squad and it was hard to woody with.
“Then I knew I was going distant with the nationalist team, I was excited.
“When I came back this season, it was my purpose to get into the England squad adjacent though I was successful the Championship.”
RexThe boyhood Chelsea instrumentality was delighted the FA appointed ex-Blues brag Thomas Tuchel.
He said: “He’s a superb manager who has won galore things and got a massive reputation.
“He volition beryllium the best man to triumph america the World Cup successful 2026.”
Former NFL prima JJ Watt, astatine the commencement of this unthinkable run, vowed to travel retired of status and play for Trafford’s favourite team, the Cincinnati Bengals, if helium does not concede different extremity this season.
There are 13 games near and Trafford said: “When it gets down to azygous digits helium should commencement worrying!”
If helium achieves different 13 cleanable sheets, you tin stake Trafford will proceed talking astir this play until the cows travel home!
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