NafisaNottingham Forest fans wasted little time trying to get inside James Trafford’s head during Leeds United’s Premier League opener at the City Ground, but the £45million goalkeeper ultimately had the perfect response.
Trafford was making his competitive debut for Leeds following his big-money summer switch from Manchester City, with plenty of attention on the England international from the moment he walked onto the pitch.
The goalkeeper had already attracted significant scrutiny over his distribution during pre-season, and Forest supporters appeared determined to test his confidence with the ball at his feet.
That became particularly noticeable during the first half.
After Trafford sent a goal-kick aimlessly out of play, the home crowd immediately turned their attention towards him, mocking the Leeds goalkeeper with chants of “what a waste of money.”
It was the sort of moment designed to unsettle a new signing playing his first Premier League game for a new club.
Trafford was also involved in another nervy sequence when Leeds attempted to play out from the back, with the Whites eventually conceding possession and a throw-in.
Forest fans again seized the opportunity to remind Trafford of his £45m price tag.
The goalkeeper’s problems with distribution continued after the interval, too, when he once again sent the ball straight out of play.
By then, the home supporters were clearly enjoying themselves, believing they had identified an obvious weakness in Leeds’ new £45m signing.
But there was one problem.
Trafford kept a clean sheet.
The former Manchester City goalkeeper also produced an important first-half intervention when Igor Jesus threatened with a header, making the save required to keep Leeds level during a period when Forest were looking dangerous.
And while his performance with the ball at his feet will certainly give Daniel Farke something to work on, Trafford ultimately walked away from his Premier League debut with exactly what he would have wanted most — a victory.
The decisive moment arrived late in the game when Anton Stach stepped up to deliver a free-kick that found the back of the net, sending the travelling Leeds supporters into delirium.
Suddenly, all those chants aimed at Trafford meant very little.
The goalkeeper had the last laugh.
Rather than simply staying inside his penalty area, Trafford immediately sprinted towards the halfway line to join his new teammates in celebrating the goal.
It was a brilliant image of a goalkeeper fully embracing the moment after being subjected to relentless pressure from the home supporters.
For Leeds, the result was even more significant given the difficult circumstances.
They had been made to work for their opening-day victory, and Trafford had experienced plenty of scrutiny throughout the afternoon.
But the £45m signing walked away with a clean sheet, three points and, most importantly, the confidence that comes with winning his first Premier League game for the club.
Forest fans may have believed they had rattled him.
In the end, Trafford was the one celebrating.
Nafisa
