After some time he joined Manchester City. At first, the fans hated the "Nazi boy", but they soon accepted him. He was a leading goalkeeper for ten years in the English first division (which was then the top division). In the 1956 FA Cup final, it the 75th minute, Trautmann was hit by a Birmingham City player. The crash broke his neck, but Trautmann finished the game. It was often called a medical miracle that Trautmann did not die on that day.