They hate you or they love you’ – Wednesday Convo with Auston Trusty on his major move to Celtic, frenzied fans, USMNT chance
GOAL sat down with the U.S. defender talk about his national team hopes, career journey and the Champions League
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ORLANDO, Fla. – Over the last few years, Auston Trusty has gotten really skilled at moving and, more important, even better at adjusting. It’s the direction his career has taken him. Philadelphia, Denver, London, Birmingham, Sheffield – those have all been all stops along the way.
The U.S. men’s national team defender has never really stayed in one place for too long, bouncing between different clubs with different visions and different styles.
This summer was his biggest bounce yet: all the way up to Glasgow. By signing with Celtic, Trusty made a big career decision. It’s one that allows him to play at a level higher than ever before: the Champions League. It’s one that allows him to consistently compete for titles under one of the world’s biggest microscopes. It’s also one that allows him to push for the USMNT chance that he’d never really gotten.
Trusty’s skillset got him here. His defending, size, physicality – they all got him to this level. It might just be his adaptability that’s his biggest asset now, though, as he looks to take lessons from his travels into a new-look USMNT. Right now, Trusty finds himself very much in the middle of a U.S. centerback race. The lessons he’s learned along the way make him feel ready.
“I’ve had to be able to mold into so many new environments,” Trusty said. “It’s been really fast, but it’s been good. Not a lot of players, I would think, could be thrown in these different positions and thrive, I guess. I’ve been able to with a team that is really, really good. They make it very easy to just move in and then start doing my thing and feel comfortable and be in good positions.
“I’ve had a lot of experiences in the past few years because I’ve been moving around. I’ve had to find a way. I’ve had to get really good at being able to mold to different situations, organizations, in the locker room, outside of locker room, into new cities, new environments.”
Ahead of the USMNT’s CONCACAF Nations League clash with Jamaica, GOAL sat down with Trusty to discuss his move to Celtic, the lessons learned and what makes this USMNT moment so exciting for him, in the latest Wednesday Convo.
NOTE: This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
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Getty Images SportON MOVING TO CELTIC
GOAL: What has the move to Celtic been like? You’ve played at big clubs at the top level, but Celtic is obviously a unique club and environment. What have these first few months been like?
TRUSTY: It’s a whole different realm, and the closest thing I can compare it to is Arsenal, but think about Arsenal. We’re in London, so there are so many different teams. In Glasgow, it’s a big city, not as big as London, but it’s a big city. There are only two teams, so there’s a good chance that they hate you or a good chance that they love you.
The welcome was amazing. Everyone there is super, super passionate, and I think they could see from the start the value that I could bring to the team, so I think that they were excited as well. I try to play every game and be that person for this team, for Celtic and for fans look up to me and to support me, and little kids who aspire to be professional athlete to look up to me. I think the fans can see that hopefully and respect that.
They’ve got behind me, so it’s been really, really nice. Here and Birmingham City have been the best in terms of getting behind me to make me feel at home.
GOAL: Can you go out in the city, or are you at the point where Rangers fans will recognize you?
TRUSTY: They are everywhere, but different parts of the city, and obviously downtown, it’s a little bit more hectic. I’m still new, so I imagine Callum McGregor, when he walks around, he’s a legend! I’m still new and, with [USMNT duty] and games and Champions League, I haven’t had too much time to walk around.
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Getty Images SportON PLAYING FOR A POWERHOUSE
GOAL: On the field, what’s it like playing for Celtic? It’s not like when you were in Sheffield, where you guys were just fighting to stay up and a draw is a good result. At Celtic, if you don’t win 3-0, something went wrong. What has that been like?
TRUSTY: It’s definitely interesting. So there are facets to that. One, how can I adjust to my teammates and the mindset of the team? It is different. Last year at Sheffield, you obviously want to win the league but, realistically, we know we need to stay up and keep fighting. This is just a different mindset, one where there’s no excuse.
It’s all just a different mindset with how the organization approaches things, how they go about their business, how they handle the on-pitch stuff. Honestly, it’s been really good. I think it’s a testament to my teammates and also myself being really adaptable, really quick to mold to a new team and the team able to mold to develop chemistry. It’s been great from the start.
GOAL: This is different from when you were signed anywhere else, right? Celtic is a well-oiled machine, so any player they sign is being brought in to add something to something that already works really, really well.
TRUSTY: Them choosing to bring me in, for me to have an opportunity to sign up for something that is already amazing, already have the opportunity to play in the Champions League, playing for a club like that – it is amazing. For them, they’re not bringing in a guy without doing so much due diligence on every little facet of them. They’re only going to bring you in if you can help, you know?
So it’s an honor because they’re already an amazing team and they’re choosing to bring you in because they see your value. It’s the club saying ‘Wow, we can now get to this level’, so that’s my mindset. It’s me thinking about how they are already champions and already win games; now it’s just me trying to do my part to advance the team to the next level, where they’re trying to get to.
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Getty Images SportON CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MOMENTS
GOAL: You made your debut in the Champions League, which must have been incredible. You’ve played four games at that level now. What was it like hearing the anthem and what has that whole experience been like?
TRUSTY: The games I’ve played have been just amazing, especially at Celtic Park. Like, it’s fierce, man. It is the sickest environment ever. It’s hard to describe. It’s really, really hard to describe. In terms of football overseas that I’ve experienced, it is, by far the craziest. When the Champions League song ends, there’s just such a roar, and I’ve played away and you see that Celtic is the loudest in there and they’re bringing just a small section. It’s so cool to just play in that type of environment.
Sometimes players can take fans for granted, and sometimes fans will take players for granted, but I think it’s such a good relationship at the end of the day. They always have players’ backs and they show up every time. Truly, like, this may sound cheesy, but it truly is an honor to play for people who care about us like that.
GOAL: I have to ask about Dortmund game (a 7-1 loss). Obviously, that’s a humbling moment, both for you and the team. It was one of those days where everything went wrong. Especially as a new signing that’s new to that group, how do you handle that?
TRUSTY: Football’s football. You’re going to win some, you’re going to lose some. Sometimes, you have those games where they do not miss one shot. They were creating goals that were unbelievable. It doesn’t happen often, but that was their day and it wasn’t ours.
I was just coming from a situation where that same thing pretty much happened us the entire year. You can react to it or just let it keep happening. You have to just say that it’s in the past and we’re going to use this as a springboard to advance us to the next thing. A lot of teams, you need some failure to springboard you to the top, because it humbles you and also keeps you on the right track. Now, we got that out of the way and there’s still a lot of Champions League left. We have seven points right now, so we really can keep going.
Also to see how the organization, the coaches and my teammates, how they react to that situation, it makes you it makes you want to play for them even more, because it’s like we’re in this together. No one’s reacting in a certain way. No one pointed fingers. You just accepted it and said, ‘Never again’. We were onto the next one. It was the best reaction from the team and one I was hoping for because that’s the situation. You can go two ways and, luckily, I got to see how positive everyone is.
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Getty ImagesON LEARNING FROM THE BEST
GOAL: One thing that has to be cool right now is just the coaches you get to work under. Both Brendan Rodgers and Mauricio Pochettino have coached at the highest level, and now you get to learn from both. What’s that like?
TRUSTY: It’s really nice because I’m just surrounded by elite-level coaches. It’s truly a blessing, because no matter what environment I’m into, I’m learning something, I’m getting better and better the more time I spend there. It’s really, really good. As a player, you recognize it. You recognize that, when they speak, they have important things to say.
GOAL: What’s it like playing under Pochettino? It’s been a quick adjustment for everyone and you’ve been in both camps. What’s that like?
TRUSTY: It’s a great opportunity for me to showcase myself on this team, but also to get better as a player. I think all of us realize the power and the knowledge that he has in terms of just coaching football and knowing every aspect of it. Last camp, the first camp, I’ve already learned so much about defending. We’ve worked intense defending. It’s cool and really nice to get new perspectives on things and you know that he really knows what he’s talking about.
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Getty ImagesON CHANCE WITH USMNT
GOAL: When it comes to the national team, you’ve had to be patient. Your first call-up was in 2018, you returned in 2022 and didn’t get to play until 2023. What have you learned from that as you gear up for, potentially, a real chance under Pochettino?
TRUSTY: Just to keep on doing what I’m doing. At the end of the day, you can’t control everything. You can control your performance and control what you bring to an environment as a teammate, as a player for a coach and be coachable, and then for yourself to maximize every opportunity you get.
I just want to put myself in positions where I can then maximize those opportunities and get those opportunities. I’m looking forward to it. Mauricio is an established coach and world-class coach. It’s a great opportunity to get better.
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