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James Trafford said an emotional farewell to Wanderers fans on Saturday – but still intends to leave promotion as a parting gift.
The Manchester City goalkeeper pulled off some big saves to keep Ian Evatt’s men in touch with Barnsley in Saturday’s play-off first leg, which hangs in the balance at one apiece going into the deciding game at Oakwell on Friday.
Trafford brushed off the praise and believes the Whites can now go and get the job done.
“I’m a big-time goalie, I should be making those saves,” he said. “If I am not, I’m not as good as I think I am.
“They were good saves in the context of the game but they are ones I expected to make.
“There were always going to be nerves going into it, especially with it being at home. The crowd were really good, and how we play it only takes one or two to be a bit off and it can break down.
“The expectation will be on them next week, and we’ll have to use that in our favour.
“We are still in the game at 1-1 but we have to go there and do the business now.”
Trafford and Conor Bradley walked around the pitch to thank fans after the game, with both players scheduled to return to their parent clubs this summer.
“Me and Con were saying to each other that is was quite weird, it has come round that it is actually our last game here. It was quite nice to see a lot of fans,” he said.
“We were walking around a bit later than everyone else and it was nice to see a lot of them waited, it showed their appreciation towards us as well as ours towards them.
“This has been the club which has moulded me and him into what we are. We haven’t got anything but positive things to say about the place.”
Though Trafford will be looking to add two more appearances to his 73 he has already amassed in his two loan spells, he says his journey with Bolton has helped mature him as a footballer.
“Even in looks – I was a long, skinny boy when I first turned up and now I’m a long, skinny man with part of a beard,” he laughed.
“I have grown up massively and all the lads have seen me go on that journey.
“I wasn’t very quiet when I joined but my full personality wasn’t really coming out. Now I am completely different and it’s testament to the lads for accepting me and letting me grow, letting me get away with some things, but just keep developing and being part of the squad.”
Trafford forecast in his first week at Wanderers that he would play for Manchester City and England – and he has graduated to the Three Lions’ Under-21s squad in his time at the UniBol.
Never lacking in confidence, he has a firm belief that he can go and become a Premier League footballer with his parent club.
“I have very high expectations of my ability, from the start of my men’s career when I played at Accrington I told people I’d play for England, play for City. The people around me believe in me and I still completely believe I will,” he said.
“It is clearer to bystanders now that it is going to happen.
“At the end of the day I didn’t play well enough at Accrington. If I did, I would have played more games there. But everything happens for a reason and I came here, the gaffer, Gillo (Matt Gilks) put a lot of faith in me to go and perform, make me feel a million dollars, and I feel like I have repaid their faith.
“I’ll forever hold the gaffer and the staff in the highest regard for having faith in a 19-year-old who had played 11 games and conceded about 70 goals.”
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