Pickford or Trafford? Tuchel opens up England’s No.1 contest after Nations League loss to Spain
Saturday's 3-2 Nations League loss to Spain saw Leeds goalkeeper James Trafford make his competitive England debut, with manager Thomas Tuchel indicating an open contest for the senior No.1 shirt during this international window.
Jordan Pickford has been England's regular starter since his debut in 2017, but his hold on the position has been challenged after a summer in which he started every World Cup match and became England's highest appearance maker at World Cups, overtaking Peter Shilton when he started in England's 2026 quarter-final win over Norway. During Gareth Southgate's tenure there had been no obvious long-term rival to Pickford, and Pickford started all but one of England's World Cup qualifiers. Tuchel has responded by rotating his goalkeepers in the Nations League to assess alternatives.
Trafford, 23, impressed in parts of his first competitive appearance for the Three Lions by showing composure with his passing and producing a notable save to deny Ferran Torres in the first half, but he was beaten three times as England lost to the world champions. Trafford has made three appearances for England and his recent performances since moving to Leeds — a transfer reported to be worth up to £45m — were cited by Tuchel as a reason for selection.
Tuchel explained his approach to goalkeeper selection directly, saying: "I think he deserved to get the two matches, that's why we gave him two matches," and adding: "He started the Premier League season well and gets minutes as number one at Leeds. Jordan [Pickford] did absolutely nothing wrong but we wanted to use this competition to see how far actually James is." The manager also said the pair would be given "two consecutive matches each" during the international break.
Trafford's club and career trajectory was outlined by England staff and media coverage: he had only played 32 top-flight games before moving to Leeds after spells with Burnley and Manchester City, having come through City's academy and joined Burnley for an initial fee of £15m in the summer of 2023. He conceded 67 goals in 28 matches before losing his place towards the end of the 2023-24 season, then starred in Burnley's promotion in 2024-25 when the Clarets conceded 16 goals, returned to City for £27m last summer and subsequently became second choice after Gianluigi Donnarumma arrived four weeks after his return.
Despite limited minutes at City, Trafford started both the FA Cup final and the Carabao Cup final before moving to Leeds, where his form this season has contributed to Leeds sitting fifth in the Premier League table; he has kept two clean sheets since joining. By comparison, Pickford's international record includes 91 caps for England, 46 clean sheets and four saves from 14 penalties faced in major tournament shootouts, and he played every minute of England's World Cup campaign until being rested for the third-place play-off when Dean Henderson started.
Pundits reacted to Tuchel's decision to rotate. Paul Robinson said on BBC Radio 5 Live: "I think Jordan Pickford will be very disappointed," adding: "Putting myself in that place, he will be questioning why he is not in that place. If he is number one, then why is he not playing against the world champions? You wonder whether this is the next generation coming through for Thomas Tuchel." Ian Dennis commented: "Jordan Pickford has never let England down," and said: "You have opposition against the Czech Republic and Croatia where you could give James Trafford an opportunity then. I do find the decision quite strange. Pickford against the world champions - you would back him to play in this game."
Trafford now has two international matches in which to press his claim for the long-term No.1 role, as confirmed by Tuchel's plan to give the two goalkeepers "two consecutive matches each" during this international break.