Harry Kane
Harry Kane
Joleon Lescott has admitted that he is 'surprised' James Trafford is still at Burnley because the Newcastle United target is 'unreal'.
Lescott is certainly well-placed to comment. Lescott, after all, was part of England under-21s' coaching team when Trafford helped the Young Lions win the Euros in 2023 and the former Manchester City defender also worked with the goalkeeper during Lee Carsley's interim spell in charge of the senior side earlier this season.
It was Lescott who told Vincent Kompany that Trafford was 'unreal' after the former Burnley boss asked his ex-team-mate about the shot-stopper before signing him for the Clarets two-and-a-half years ago. Trafford went on to endure a difficult debut season in the Premier League and could only watch on as Burnley were relegated after the 'keeper was dropped for the final months of the campaign.
However, Trafford has since bounced back in the Championship. In fact, Trafford has only conceded a single goal since Boxing Day and the 22-year-old became the first goalkeeper in the history of the second-tier to keep a dozen league clean sheets in a row last month.
Newcastle are expected to renew their interest in Trafford in the summer, which won't come as a surprise to Lescott, who was struck by the goalkeeper's ability to 'turn it on'.
"When we were with the seniors, they were doing their finishing and it's obviously Harry Kane and the elite," Lescott told Football's Greatest. "He must have gone, 'Let me show you. Let me show you that I can make some saves.'
"Everyone has seen his ability but his temperament? He's probably a little bit different. You know when you associate goalkeepers with being crazy and stuff? He's not. He's quite composed. I don't know if that's just his age. His calm is in his game as well.
"When it comes back to him and he's being closed down and you're thinking, 'Go on. I need you to clear that Traff. Oh, there's a pass.' But he's not trying to take him on or do a Cruyff turn. This is the pass that needs to be made at this moment in time. The only surprise would be that he's probably still there, but hopefully Burnley go up."
Burnley have been unbeaten in the Championship since November 7 and Scott Parker's side are currently just a couple of points off top spot with 10 games to go.