'There is not much difference!' – James Trafford makes bold ranking claim after Spain loss

England goalkeeper James Trafford took encouragement from his side's performance after suffering a narrow 3-2 UEFA Nations League defeat against Spain at Wembley Stadium. Thomas Tuchel's men showed character to overturn Lamine Yamal's early opener with quickfire strikes from Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane.

However, second-half goals from Alex Baena and Mikel Oyarzabal condemned the hosts to defeat.

Despite the loss, Trafford praised England's direct attacking approach and brave style of play.

In an interview with UEFA, Trafford rejected claims that a significant gulf in quality exists between England and the world's highest-ranked sides. The Burnley goalkeeper asserted that the Three Lions proved their elite credentials by outplaying Spain for extended spells.

Trafford noted that momentum shifts are inevitable when two world-class teams meet on the big stage.

"We played with real good intensity," Trafford stated. "We showed a lot of bravery. I wouldn't say there's much difference between us and the teams above us in the rankings. We're obviously a really top team, and we show it every time we play."

Addressing England's defensive concession of three goals on home soil, Trafford acknowledged that the squad must review match footage to eliminate defensive errors. He stressed that stopping goals remains the fundamental priority for the backline during momentum shifts.

The young goalkeeper reiterated that the squad continues to improve under Tuchel's tactical guidance.

"It's obviously that we just have to stop the goals," Trafford admitted. "Like it's a reality. Whenever you concede a goal, you've got to stop the goal, and it's something that we'll review. We're full of top players, and we're only getting better."

England look to recover swiftly as they prepare to travel to Prague to face Czechia in their second Nations League group fixture on Tuesday. Tuchel's side aim to claim their first victory under the new campaign setup.

Spain travel to Seville to face Croatia on the same night.

Trafford aims to maintain his starting position in goal for the upcoming away fixture.