James Trafford’s latest England call-up shows how quickly Leeds United’s goalkeeper has settled in

James Trafford’s move to Leeds United has already given the goalkeeper another opportunity to establish himself at both club and international level.

The 23-year-old has been included in Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad alongside Leeds teammate Dominic Calvert-Lewin, giving him another chance to work with the senior national team during the extended international window.

Trafford arrived at Leeds from Manchester City during the summer and has started the campaign as Daniel Farke’s first-choice goalkeeper.

He has made five appearances across all competitions so far this season and has kept two clean sheets, including the 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace that sent Leeds into the international break unbeaten.

That clean sheet was particularly important given the nature of the Palace match.

Leeds were unable to find a way through Oliver Glasner’s side at Elland Road, but Trafford and the defence ensured that a frustrating attacking performance did not turn into a defeat.

The result left Leeds with nine points from their first five Premier League matches.

Trafford’s own international development has also moved quickly.

He made his England debut in March during a 1-1 draw with Uruguay before featuring again in the 1-0 victory over New Zealand in June.

His latest selection means he remains firmly within Tuchel’s senior setup as England begin their Nations League campaign.

The England squad contains three goalkeepers, with Trafford joining Jordan Pickford and Jason Steele.

That means the Leeds goalkeeper is competing with established international experience around him, but the value of being part of the group goes beyond simply whether he plays.

Training alongside England’s senior players gives Trafford another opportunity to develop within an elite international environment while continuing his club development at Leeds.

His move to Elland Road was always going to come with significant scrutiny.

Replacing a goalkeeper is never straightforward, particularly when the player is arriving from another Premier League club and immediately expected to become the first choice.

So far, Trafford has been given that responsibility by Farke and has responded with a number of solid performances.

The next stage will be maintaining that consistency.

Leeds’ first match after the international break is an away trip to Arsenal on October 10, meaning Trafford could return from international duty and immediately face one of the biggest tests of the season.

Before then, however, he has another chance to add to his England experience.

For Leeds supporters, that is another encouraging development for a goalkeeper who has only just begun his career at Elland Road.