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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
John McDougall

Encouraging Manchester City situation behind Ederson emerging at Bolton Wanderers and Portsmouth

Ederson is Manchester City's number one goalkeeper but Pep Guardiola's side has strength in depth behind the Brazilian which should be a comfort in the goalkeeping department.

Zack Steffen and Scott Carson remain at City to provide back-up and competition for the club's number one stopper, who has won three Premier League titles since joining the club from Benfica in 2017.

But such is the abundance of talent at the Etihad Stadium in that department, there is strength in depth beyond that trio. Two more young guns are currently away in the EFL getting valuable minutes under their belts.

READ MORE: Elias Kachunga on first Bolton Wanderers season after Sheffield Wednesday move & injuries

James Trafford spent the first half of the season at Accrington Stanley, before moving to Bolton Wanderers in January.

He has slotted straight into the starting XI of Ian Evatt's side and, despite being just 19, has been solid and helped Wanderers on their rise up the League One table.

Indeed, the Cumbrian-born goalkeeper made history by becoming the first Wanderers goalkeeper to keep four clean sheets in his first four matches at the club, with games against Ipswich Town, Shrewsbury Town, Sunderland and Cambridge United.

He has gone on to play 15 times for Wanderers so far this season and kept seven clean sheets in that time.

The Wanderers loanee is currently away on international duty with England's under-20s and has made no secret of his desire to be City's number one eventually.

Speaking not long after he joined Bolton, Trafford said: "I believe I will be City’s number one someday and the more experience I get with the ball at my feet, the better.

“A lot of clubs in League One play really direct, which I don’t see myself doing at City. It suits me with Bolton playing a high line, it’s the best for my development right now."

But Trafford is not the only City goalkeeper catching the eye and earning plaudits in League One.

Gavin Bazunu is out on loan at Portsmouth and earning rave reviews for Danny Cowley's side.

The Pompey boss rates Bazunu as the 'best I've ever worked with' and has made the fifth highest number of saves in League One this term.

EFL pundit George Elek has also claimed that the City loanee Gavin Bazunu is arguably the best goalkeeper in League One and Bazunu has the joint highest number of clean sheets this season in the division. He too is on international duty right now, with the Republic of Ireland.

Trafford is under contract until the summer of 2023, with Bazunu a City player until 2024, and the duo are poised to face one another when Pompey travel to take on Wanderers at the University of Bolton Stadium on the evening of April 5.

Any City fans wanting a glimpse of the future in the goalkeeping department may want to keep a keen eye on that encounter.

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