JAMES Trafford’s future may well be in the blue of Manchester City, or with Three Lions on his shirt, but right now his only focus is on helping Wanderers.
The in-form keeper has conceded only once in his last eight hours of club football, stretching back to Charlton Athletic’s early goal at the UniBol last month.
On loan for the season and now a firm favorite on the Bolton terraces, Trafford has done his best to immerse himself in Lancashire life, hoping to get the maximum enjoyment from his stay.
“I try and integrate myself as much as I can,” he told The Bolton News. “While I am here, I play for Bolton. And I love it.
“It helped being here at the end of last season and I was really happy coming back.
“But I am invested in the whole thing. I like the area, I’m always knocking around, and I am really enjoying the place.
“I just want us to be successful and keep pushing on.”
Trafford was one of a handful of Wanderers called up for international duty a couple of weeks ago, playing for England’s Under-21s against Germany and sitting on the bench for the game against Italy.
“I really enjoy going away with England because I see a lot of the lads I came through the system with, it’s a different set of people, a different experience,” he said. “However much I enjoy being with Bolton I enjoy going and training and playing with the lads there, it’s a great experience.”
Trafford feels the international camps have helped to keep him sharp but says the technical development he has added to his game has largely been done on the club training ground, both at Bolton under Matt Gilks, and with his parent club City.
“You are away for seven, eight, nine days, so there isn’t really too much they can change,” he said. “You could be with the best coach in the world and not learn too much in that short space of time.
“There is a really hectic schedule as well, especially if you are away from home, so it is really a case of staying sharp.”
Trafford is regularly watched by his Cumbria-based family but had a few other familiar faces in the crowd at Bramall Lane when he earned a second England cap in the 3-1 friendly win against Germany.
“It was nice to see the gaffer, Gillo (Matt Gilks), Ducky (Lewis Duckmanton) there supporting me,” he said.
“It shows what a close group we are. They are taking time out of their night in Sheffield when they are in the next morning. It shows how much they care about me and everyone else.”
