Thomas Tuchel sprung a selection surprise for England’s game against Spain on Saturday.
The Three Lions welcomed the 2026 World Cup winners to Wembley to get their UEFA Nations League campaign underway. And Tuchel opted to start James Trafford between the sticks, with Jordan Pickford dropped to the bench. The German has already confirmed the Leeds United man will keep his spot for the Czechia game on Tuesday.
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“Jordan [Pickford] did absolutely nothing wrong but we want to use this competition to see how far actually James is in these two weeks so he gets these two matches,” Tuchel said.
“I am convinced that it’s better to get two matches and not just one match so he can learn from the organisation, he can learn from what happened and straight away grow into it and be a part of the defensive and offensive build up unit.
“So, he gets the next match as well and then Jordan gets the two matches against Czech Republic and Croatia in Wembley.”
Pickford drop a shock
Trafford’s evening, though, got off to a disappointing start. Spain scored early on through Lamine Yamal following a Marc Guehi gaffe. Goals from Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane saw England go in at the break ahead. However, another mistake, this time through Nico O’Reilly, allowed Alex Baena to draw La Roja level.
Mikel Oyarzabal struck late on as Spain got their Nations League campaign off to a winning start. Trafford did make a smart stop to deny Ferran Torres in the first half. Conversely, Tuchel would have been forgiven for dropping Trafford for Pickford in midweek after the former shipped three times.
Even so, the decision to drop Pickford for Trafford was a shock in itself. The Everton man has been England’s first choice for the best part of 10 years. He’s been number one for the last five major international tournaments. During Gareth Southgate’s tenure he was one of the first names on the teamsheet.
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That was in part due to a lack of top-class competition. Goalkeepers came and went. There were some decent shotstoppers that could have rivalled Pickford. However, they didn’t offer the same composure in possession as the Toffees man. This is what stood out.
The 32-year-old is able to instigate attacks from the back with ease. In the modern game, a goalkeeper capable of picking out a teammate from range has proven vital. For an England side that dominates the ball, this distribution has been key. A potential rival has been tough to come by. Until now, of course.
Lack of game time held Trafford back
Trafford has always had the ability to compete with Pickford on the international stage. The issue largely stemmed down to a lack of regular action at club level, particularly in the top flight.
The 23-year-old has limited top-tier experience. It’s only since his switch to Leeds over the summer that Trafford has been handed the opportunity to prove himself at Premier League level. That’s not to say he hasn’t been ready to ply his trade in England’s top tier. Rather, the chances were few and far between.
His return to Manchester City last summer should have proven the making of the youngster. And yet, City also signed Gianluigi Donnarumma on deadline day. The Italian was immediately instilled as first choice under then-boss Pep Guardiola. As such, Trafford made just four league starts for the Cityzens.
Granted, Trafford was handed domestic cup duties, and the odd European match. He started both the FA Cup and EFL Cup finals, matches won by City against Chelsea and Arsenal, respectively. However, it would have been impossible for Tuchel to justify his decision to have Trafford start ahead of Pickford.
Trafford’s fine start to the season
Now, Tuchel has the personnel to push Pickford on. Hand the Everton man top-quality competition from a goalkeeper who is able to match both his shotstopping quality and his ability with the ball at his feet. Trafford, after all, has made a decent start to the season.
Leeds sit fifth in the Premier League after five games. No team has conceded fewer goals than Daniel Farke’s side (3), incidentally a haul matched by Everton. They are one of five sides yet to lose a league match. Trafford, meanwhile, boasts the best save success rate (90.9%) in the division. Pickford (83.3%) is second.
And on the international stage, there have been mistakes creeping into Pickford’s games. Take the World Cup for example, the former Sunderland star could have done better for goals conceded in meetings with Croatia, DR Congo and Argentina. While Tuchel admitted goalkeeping isn’t his area of expertise – “I’m not a specialist for goalkeeping,” he said after the Spain defeat – even he knows Pickford could have done better.
In truth, a rivalry, especially between the sticks, is key. Healthy competition pushes goalkeepers on, and Trafford will certainly give Pickford a run for his money. With Euro 2028 the next major tournament for England, the number one spot is – for the first time in a long time – up for grabs.