“I’d be fuming!” – Shay Given slams Pep Guardiola’s treatment of Manchester City first-team star | OneFootball

Former Manchester City and Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given has criticised Pep Guardiola over his treatment of James Trafford after his deadline day signing of Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Trafford signed a long-term contract at the Etihad Stadium in July and returned to his boyhood club after two productive seasons at Burnley, with Manchester City bringing back their academy graduate to challenge for the number one goalkeeping position.

The 22-year-old went on to start each of City’s opening three Premier League games; keeping a clean sheet in a 4-0 opening day win away at Wolves but making a blunder that led directly to a goal in a 2-0 defeat at home to Tottenham a week after.

Ederson was on the bench on matchday three of the Premier League season as he awaited a resolution on his future in the final week of the transfer window and despite impressing with a series of outstanding saves on the south coast, Trafford saw Manchester City relinquish a slender half-time lead to suffer a damaging 2-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion.

City overhauled their goalkeeping department in the recent transfer window, signing Marcus Bettinelli from Chelsea to replace Scott Carson as third-choice goalkeeper and bringing back Trafford from Turf Moor courtesy of a buy-back clause inserted in the 22-year-old’s contract at Burnley.

However, a high-profile parting of ways between Paris Saint-Germain and Gianluigi Donnarumma did not go unnoticed at the Etihad Stadium, with club officials and Guardiola deeming the prospect of signing the Italy international – widely regarded as the best goalkeeper in the world – as too good an opportunity to let pass by.

Guardiola is understood to have played a crucial role in Manchester City’s acquisition of Donnarumma, who was very keen on joining forces with the Spaniard as he searched for a new club months on from spearheading PSG to their premier UEFA Champions League title.

Ederson’s deadline day move to Fenerbahce saw Manchester City strike a £26 million deal with PSG for the ousted goalkeeper, who has signed a five-year deal at the Etihad Stadium and starred on his Premier League debut in a 3-0 derby win over Manchester United on Sunday.

Questions have been raised over where City’s eleventh-hour capture of Donnarumma – a signing that cannot be questioned in terms of sporting merit – leaves Trafford, who will inevitably witness regular playing time difficult to come by in the presence of the Italy international.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club this week, former Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given did not pull any punches in his criticism of Guardiola, who handed Trafford the keys to the number one goalkeeping position in July – only to sign Donnarumma on deadline day.

“I do feel for Trafford because I know he was heavily linked with Newcastle,” Given said, as quoted by Mirror Sport. “My understanding is, well he has the number one jersey on his back but promise isn’t the right word in football and guarantee isn’t the right word in football but I think James Trafford is a brilliant goalkeeper.

“In the year of a World Cup, I think Pep (Guardiola) has given him (Trafford) the full sales pitch: ‘You’re going to come to Manchester City, the number one jersey is yours, you are going to be playing regularly, playing Champions League football and if you play your cards right you might actually play for England in the World Cup next summer’.

“Fast forward two weeks and the big man Donnarumma comes from Italy and he (Trafford) is parked up for the season. I don’t know where his (Trafford’s) mindset is at. I seen (saw) him walking around the pitch (after the Manchester derby) and I am just thinking a penny for his thoughts.

“I know he (Trafford) is young but if it was me I would be raging. Raging I have had that conversation and two weeks later I am on the bench. What does Trafford do now? He is off the back of a phenomenal season (at Burnley). What happens now?”