James Trafford makes honest admission and speaks out on FIFA's 'unfair' World Cup advice

James Trafford admits he will have to become a No.1 to challenge Jordan Pickford for the England jersey. Trafford, 23, finished the season with two trophies after helping Manchester City win a domestic cup double as he lifted both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

But Trafford says he moved to the Etihad with a goal in mind to become City’s No.1 and also to try and become England’s first-choice keeper. It did not work out that way as City signed Gianluigi Donnarumma and Trafford admitted it was “very tough” to find himself sitting on the bench for Premier League games.

When asked if he will have to be No1 at club level to get the England shirt, Trafford said: “I think history says yeah, I think there hasn’t been a goalie start for any of the top nations that isn't a number one at the club. So, going off history, I'd say yeah.

"It's obviously been very challenging the past season, but looking back, I've learned so much, I've developed so much. I thought I'd had a lot of experiences up to this point in my career, but this was a new experience for me in everything.

“It was obviously very tough. Some days were harder than others, but the one thing I wanted to keep doing was keep winning and just improving every day.

“I kept doing that and I came out the season having played a part in winning the two trophies that we did. It was a very challenging season, but I learned a lot for myself and for going forward in my career.

“You have still got to perform at the highest level, and when I did move, if I would have become England's number one for the tournament, it would have been brilliant.

“I'd have been very happy, but obviously I didn't. They obviously ended up signing Gigi, and I didn't play the majority of the games, and that’s football isn’t it?

“The two trophies were really nice. Every day I just thought, 'Keep improving, keep trying to win the day, and see where it takes me'. Out of the cups, I got as many games as I could, because we got to the final in both.

“At the end of the day, I knew whenever I played I had to perform, and then as long as you perform, then everything takes care of itself.”

Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel has made it clear that he is not happy that England were used as an example to referees in a video presentation on how to stop grappling at corners in this World Cup. Referees were shown a video of Adam Wharton blocking at a corner to allow Ben White score in a friendly against Uruguay in March.

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Tuchel’s men were given a talk by a referee ahead of the tournament about what would be allowed and Trafford insists wrestling at set-pieces is nothing new but it is unfair if England are singled out.

Trafford added: “If England have been used as an example maybe it is a bit unfair. When the ball comes in I just watch the ball, I don't know if anyone is grappling, what anyone is doing. Obviously by changing the rules they're looking to change something.

"I think the blocking in the league this year, it is sort of the real first year that everyone's spoke about it. I don't think it's anything new. You look at all throughout the past years, everyone blocks the goalkeeper.

“It's only because people talk about it more. It's like everyone speaks about long throws, but it's always been in the game. t's just that people get excited to speak about it.”

Trafford, as well as his England colleagues, have been given special luxuries to make sure they feel at home in their World Cup base. Football Association bosses asked WAGs to provide keepsakes, pictures and gifts to put in the players’ rooms for when they arrived at their resort at The Inn at Meadowbrook in Kansas.

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The pictures were scanned into an iPad which were left in the rooms while a basketball hoop, games room and TVs were installed to let them watch sport together. England keeper James Trafford even revealed that his other half bought him a Lego set to build a tractor because he can drive one as he grew up in a farming family in Cumbria.

She has left a series of gifts for him to open on a weekly basis and other WAGs have done the same for other England stars. Trafford said: “‘There was a little iPad and there was photos, like a slideshow, and I can see my sisters sending them in. It was a nice surprise. The first photo was me and my missus. Then I had a box that my missus did for us. It was quite nice little personal touches.

“She put a few things to open at different stages. She put two face masks in there. Very thoughtful. And she put in a Lego set.

“My missus has no clue about football. I told her that we'll probably be away for a month and a half, seven weeks. She took my word for it and put a thing in for every different week.

“The Lego is a tractor. I’m a farmer, aren’t I? She gave me a tractor to build. It’s not the biggest but I haven’t built it yet. We’ve only been here a day. I don’t want to jump the gun too early.

“There's a basketball hoop and then just a lot of communal areas, a recovery place, pools, a sauna, a relaxation place. So yeah, it's all good and beneficial for us.

“The basketball was going on the other night and I knew what was going on but I had no real interest and just watched the football with Scotland on the telly.”