Celtic central defender Auston Trusty took a while to get going following his £6m summer move from Sheffield United, but after a period of settling in, he has proved himself to be worth his hefty price tag.
Now that he has had a while to get used to life at Parkhead, Trusty has drawn parallels between Celtic and Arsenal. Indeed, the American has explained how the footballing rivalries in Glasgow and London have made his experiences at each club similar.
Speaking from the USA international camp, the 26-year-old delved into life with the Hoops so far: “It’s a whole different realm, and the closest thing I can compare it to is Arsenal,” he said (goal.com).
“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.”
Whether next to Cameron Carter-Vickers or Liam Scales, Trusty has proved he can perform for Celtic and handle the pressures required to do so.
He truly established himself in green and white away to Atalanta a few weeks ago when the Bhoys earned a heroic 0-0 draw courtesy of some sturdy defending.
Trusty played on the right of central defence that evening, but he is even better on the left. The American’s ball-playing abilities really shine through when he is on his natural side.
When he returns from Stateside after the international break, Trusty will likely play a key role as Celtic embark on what manager Brendan Rodgers has described as an ‘ultramarathon’ of games.
