James Trafford discusses his move to Leeds United from Manchester City and hopes for the new Premier League campaign.
Leeds United have made some very big signings in recent years.
Officially, though, none as big as James Trafford.
Not that his £40m price tag is on Trafford's mind. After all, the 23-year-old just wants to play football.
This time last year, he looked like doing so as first choice keeper for the former Premier League champions.
In the end, as Manchester City's no 2, Trafford's Premier League game time was limited to just four outings.
Yet one year on there's absolutely no doubt that Trafford is now Leeds United's main man - and the new Whites no 1 cannot wait.
MEETING THE MEDIA: James Trafford meets the press at Thorp Arch. Picture by Steve Riding.placeholder image
MEETING THE MEDIA: James Trafford meets the press at Thorp Arch. Picture by Steve Riding. | National World Resell
Trafford has become the most expensive signing in Leeds United's history this summer, joining the club for £40m plus add-ons from City who themselves spent £27m to bring the former City youngster back from Burnley last summer.
England-capped stopper Trafford appeared likely to be the club's new no 1 and indeed started the team's first three Premier League games.
After the arrival of Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain for £26m, Trafford started only one more league game.
But one year later, Trafford is Leeds United's no 1 on multiple fronts as the new first choice keeper but also top of the pile on the costliest signings front.
Up until Trafford's arrival, Georginio Rutter had been United's record signing having cost the club £35.5m from Hoffenheim in January 2023.
Three and a half years on, the arrival of United's new centre-half Tarik Muharemovic got close to that fee but without surpassing it, Muharemovic costing Leeds £34.1m from Sassuolo and instantly looking a class act.
Yet Trafford's arrival has raised the bar higher, the England-capped keeper joining Leeds for a club record fee amid huge excitement from United's fan base.
As he says himself, Trafford can't control how much he cost. He can, however, control what happens when he's on the pitch.
“It's brilliant that they are”
And ultimately it is being on the pitch on a regular basis that Trafford is now relishing the most, together with the fanatical support on its way from United's fanbase.
Speaking to the YEP, Trafford was asked how he felt about joining Leeds as the club's new record signing and carrying the hopes of fans to help the Whites to the next level.
"Obviously I can't control any of that," said the new Whites no 1 about the £40m fee.
"I just want to go and play football.
"I just want to play football and work as hard as I can. But people can say they are excited and it's brilliant that they are excited as we just want to win games of football. That's the main thing. It feels brilliant.
"Obviously in the area everyone supports Leeds. There's so many Leeds fans around and it just feels really good.
"Everyone seems to be a Leeds fan! That's what I figured it out. There's so many Leeds fans. My mates told me there are a lot of Leeds fans and they are all really excited. I just think it's amazing and everyone I see wears Leeds tops. They are the only tops you really see!"
After Trafford's arrival, there might well be a few more keeper tops seen too, more than likely adorned with 'Trafford 1' on the back.
This time there can be absolutely no doubt that Trafford is indeed no 1, one year on from ultimately having to play second fiddle to Donnarumma at City.
SETLLING IN: New Leeds United keeper and record signing James Trafford.placeholder image
SETLLING IN: New Leeds United keeper and record signing James Trafford. | Steve Riding
Trafford, though, played every single minute of 12 cup games for City as he helped Pep Guardiola's side to an FA Cup and League Cup double.
Despite having to sit and watch Donnarumma in the league, it means the 23-year-old only views the season as a success.
Trafford reasoned: "Obviously it's a very long season at City because there's obviously so many games, so much travelling.
"Some days were obviously really tough and some days were really, really good.
"It's just about balancing the emotions and learning from it because it was a totally new experience for me and the first half of the season was a lot harder because the games weren't so frequent that I was playing.
"But from January to the end of the season we had a lot of big games, we played Newcastle a lot, we played Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea.
"We had big games and we were getting closer to winning the trophy and to win the two trophies was a brilliant end to a very tough season.
"It rewarded me for never giving up in any of the season so it was a season I look back on as a positive season. I won two trophies, I learnt a lot and got better so it was all in all a good year."
UP AND RUNNING: James Trafford after the FC Augsburg pre-season friendly at Elland Road. Picture by Steve Riding.placeholder image
UP AND RUNNING: James Trafford after the FC Augsburg pre-season friendly at Elland Road. Picture by Steve Riding. | National World Resell
Now it is naturally hoped that many more good years are ahead of him at new home Leeds, a club Trafford faced twice at Burnley including once at Elland Road where he excelled in a 1-0 win for the Clarets.
"It will be a lot better playing with the fans than against the fans!" he admitted.
"They are obviously very, very good.
"They make Elland Road very tough and they improve us as a team which is the main thing. So we're all really excited to be back in front of them again."
Asked what Leeds can achieve, the keeper reasoned: "Every team in the world wants to do better than the season before and improve. It's just a case of just trying to improve every day and try as hard as we can, and we'll see what happens.
"But it's an exciting time. I can't wait for the season to begin.