Cardiff City goalkeeper Nathan Trott says he was made a “scapegoat” at FC Copenhagen and that his relationship with head coach Jacob Neestrup “ended” after a decisive conversation during a difficult 2024/25 campaign.
The 26-year-old, on loan at Cardiff from the Danish champions, opened up in a wide-ranging Danish interview about form, trust and communication, insisting he never regretted the move but could not see a route back after being replaced midway through last season.
Disaster in Denmark
Trott arrived in Copenhagen with high expectations after standout spells at Vejle, started the 2024/25 league campaign as No. 1 and initially drew praise for his early displays. A run of errors and a dip in team results brought change: teenager Theo Sander was tried, then Diant Ramaj was signed at the start of 2025.
Trott says that period, coupled with a frank discussion with Neestrup, left him feeling publicly sidelined and privately frozen out.
Cardiff City are set to compete the loan signing of Nathan Trott from Copenhagen.
The deal includes a €1.8M option to buy.
(@F_Abolhosseini)#CardiffCity pic.twitter.com/kifiPMZn7w
— ccfcinsider (@ccfcinsiderr) July 26, 2025
In the interview, Trott describes a volatile second half of the season, being “in and out” of the side and affected by “things off the pitch”. He also says the club’s public stance about seeking a new first-choice keeper made clear where he stood. He does, however, stress respect for the fans, team-mates and the scale of the club, pointing out that the squad still finished with silverware.
For Cardiff, the context matters. Trott has made a quick impression since arriving in August, stepping into a promotion-focused environment under Brian Barry-Murphy. Cardiff required reliability and presence after the summer reset, and Trott’s experience of pressure with Copenhagen offers both on-field qualities and a hardened mindset.
His perspective on handling scrutiny, selection swings and media noise should translate to League One’s weekly intensity.
🧤 NATHAN TROTT
🔹League Matches Played: 11
🔹Clean Sheets: 6 (🥇)
🔹Clean Sheets per 90: 54.5% (🥉)
🔹Save Percentage: 84.1% (🥈)
🔹Goals Prevented (xGA): 4.7 (🥇)
🔹Total Saves: 36 (🥇)* Data compared to all other League 1 GK’s so far this season#CardiffCity || @fbref 🐦 pic.twitter.com/x4IukGZ5x3
— Sloper Road Blues 🐦 (@SloperRoadBlues) October 21, 2025
What Does It Mean For Nathan Trott?
The takeaways are clear. First, elite dressing rooms can pivot fast when margins tighten, and public positioning by clubs can cut as sharply as any internal decision.
Second, Trott’s case underlines the goalkeeper’s unique spotlight: one mistake can shift narratives swiftly, especially at a club expected to win every week.
Third, Cardiff benefit from a player who has endured that glare and still speaks about the experience with balance, giving Barry-Murphy a starter used to high stakes.
Looking ahead, Trott’s loan includes an option to buy. If he sustains form and Cardiff continue their upward trajectory, a permanent move would make football sense: a settled No. 1 in a side targeting promotion.
For Copenhagen, the episode closes with trophies banked and a position retooled; for Trott, it is a line drawn under a turbulent chapter and a chance to define the next one in South Wales.
