Newcastle United target James Trafford's mental strength sets him apart.

That is according to Burnley player care lead Jack Tebbutt after Trafford bounced back from a difficult start to his career at Turf Moor. Trafford conceded 61 goals in his debut Premier League season and the goalkeeper could only watch on as Burnley were relegated after he was dropped for the final months of the campaign.

Scott Parker recognised that Trafford had some 'early struggles', but the Burnley boss has hailed the shot-stopper's 'humongous potential' and it is easy to forget that the 22-year-old was one of the youngest goalkeepers in the top-flight last year. Newcastle certainly saw the bigger picture after trying to sign Trafford and there is a reason why the Magpies continue to monitor Burnley number one's progress. Although there is, naturally, a huge difference between the Premier League and the Championship, Trafford has only conceded nine goals this season and the shot-stopper has certainly left his mark on Tebbutt.

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"I met Traff in the medical," Tebbutt told the club's YouTube channel. "He had a difficult start in the fans' opinion. Internally we didn't think he had a difficult start, but he is by far the strongest young lad I've ever come across mentally. How he does it? I'm not quite sure."

Trafford dramatically saved a couple of penalties against Sunderland earlier this month after getting inside Wilson Isidor's head by making the taker wait. Trafford described Sunderland fans' taunts as 'just noise' after the goalkeeper took off his gloves, tied his laces and looked at the penalty guidance on the side of his bottle before making the first save. Trafford went on to receive treatment for cramp before keeping out Isidor's second spot-kick.

"That's probably him," Parker added. "There are certain things I've seen him develop over the last three or four months. He's maturing, he's starting to understand certain things and the way he went about what he needed to do, he was a guy under the spotlight.

"The spotlight shone on him in the first occasion; the spotlight shone on him in the second occasion. I got the impression Traff loved every bit of that and to get to where he wants to get to, sometimes, you need to have that."