James Trafford looks right at home in Leeds' goal. His debut was worth the wait

James Trafford’s long-awaited Leeds United debut ended with a confident first half that was good enough to earn a Boyle Sports Cup 2026 man-of-the-match award after a 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Croke Park. The contest was decided by a shootout, but Trafford’s display came before it, making several key interventions and showing early comfort off the ball despite only one training session in Dublin after a delayed pre-season start. Leeds manager Daniel Farke said the medical team “held its breath” after Trafford joined the club just the day before, but his hunger to play helped settle early doubts.