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I dreamt of nights like Celtic Champions League epic so a little ankle sprain wasn't going to spoil it
As he lay on the Celtic Park turf it must have been on his mind.
After going up for a header early against RB Leipzig Auston Trusty went over on his ankle on landing. It was throbbing. As he limped off the pitch, everyone inside Parkhead felt he’d have to be replaced. But the big American had other ideas. With the Champions League anthem still ringing in his ears, he thought back to when he was a boy. These were the games he’d dreamt about. Against Europe’s best, with the atmosphere electric - and on TV screens across the world.
This is why he’d grafted so hard to get there. This is what he lived for. So, despite the pain, Trusty wasn’t going to let a twisted ankle jeopardise it. And he certainly wasn’t going to hobble off the pitch before he’d done his job against Leipzig. Instead, the big defender battled through it to play a huge part in Celtic’s stunning Champions League triumph on Tuesday night. Their 3-1 victory over the Germans was a performance for the ages, with Brendan Rodgers’ side now in a terrific position to qualify for the knock-out phase. Picking Trusty ahead of Liam Scales at the heart of his defence was a big call from the manager.
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But it paid off as the Hoops’ new £6 million man excelled alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers at the back. Even if he was left hobbling off by the end.
But as he reflected on a dream night for him and Celtic, Trusty says he was NEVER going to leave the party early.
He said: “I rolled my ankle pretty bad and it was hurting for the rest of the game. How did I get through it? Just the atmosphere. You play for these nights - you live for them. I was a little kid in my bedroom dreaming of playing on that field, in that environment. So I wasn’t going to let a little ankle sprain bring me down.
“The whole night was amazing. When I came here, I had heard all the stories. I made my debut in the Champions League (against Slovan Bratislava) but it was only for a small amount of minutes.
"To start the game on Tuesday night and just be in there, in that mindset, was a dream come true for me. It was just incredible. The games come so quick and fast here. That’s hard but it’s also a blessing. I have such big, important games to play for a historic club. And in every game, you just want to give your all and give your best.”
Trusty has that air of confidence about that most American sports stars do. The 26-year-old progressed as a young player in the MLS before earning a move to Premier League big guns Arsenal. He got a taste of England’s top flight on loan at Sheffield United before eventually being snapped up by Rodgers in the summer. There’s now a battle between him and Scales to get in the Hoops starting line-up. But Trusty isn’t fazed by that in the slightest.
With an assuredness about him, he said: “I’m doing my thing. I’m here for a reason and we’re all capable players at Celtic. That’s a great team to have. You have guys who want to play and are capable of playing. So any chance you get, whoever it is, you want to take advantage of it.”
And when quizzed on whether he had doubts about his Champions League credentials after Celtic’s 7-1 mauling against Borussia Dortmund earlier in the campaign - Trusty was unequivocal in his answer. He clearly believes that his partnership with his countryman, Carter-Vickers, is growing and developing. And while the shirt is his, he has no plans to give it up.
He said: “Did I have doubts about myself after Dortmund? No, none whatsoever. I’m a confident guy and I know I’ve joined a confident team. Sometimes football is like that - Dortmund just didn’t miss that night, everything went their way. That sucks but sometimes in this game you have to accept it and move on.
“There are always more opportunities. So you live it, learn it and can only move forward after it. The partnership with myself and Cameron can become extremely strong. It’s been amazing for me so far. When I was deciding to come here, knowing that was an option, made it very interesting and exciting for me.
“To have two American centre-backs playing side by side in such big, important games at a historic club is fantastic. For us, playing for a club like Celtic in the Champions League - and the exposure you get - is going to help anybody’s situation at international level.
"You always want to play in the best competitions and for the best teams in the world. So it will only help us for our country.”
And as if Celtic’s two centre-halves don’t look solid enough, Trusty also has an experienced stopper in Kasper Schmeichel behind him. The veteran Dane was outstanding against Leipzig in midweek and pulled off a stunning stop from Christoph Baumgartner at 2-1 to keep them in front.
Trusty thought Schmeichel was a top keeper before he arrived at Celtic - now he knows it. Ahead of Sunday's Premiership visit to Kilmarnock, he said: “Kasper is class, the real deal. It’s great as a centre-back to know that you have someone like that behind you. With his feet and also as a shot stopper, he’s a class player. It’s an honour for me to play with him.”
