For Auston Trusty, playing at the Allianz Arena was once something he could only do on FIFA.
The American defender grew up in the United States dreaming of the big European nights, picturing himself on the grandest stage.
On Tuesday night, that dream became a reality as he and his Celtic teammates pushed Bayern Munich to the limit, coming within seconds of forcing extra time in their Champions League knockout play-off.
The 94th-minute equaliser from Canadian full-back Alphonso Davies broke Celtic’s hearts.
Reflecting on the experience, Trusty admitted that stepping out onto the iconic Bavarian pitch was a surreal moment.
Despite the last-gasp heartbreak, the summer signing believes Celtic have shown they are ready to step up a level in Europe. [RecordSport]
“When I was back in the States playing. I was playing there on FIFA, you know. So, to have it in real life and to see the person playing the pitch and have the environment and stuff like that cheering us on and creating the atmosphere here, you know, it’s pretty magical.
“I mean, it is what dreams are made of. I would have liked another goal. I would have liked a couple more goals. We had some good chances. I think we had the best chances in the game. It was pretty amazing.
“Yeah, it was a unique performance. I think this is just the beginning of it. The mindset of this team, again, when people count us out, we back ourselves. So it’s only up from here.”
Celtic’s European journey may be over for now, but Trusty and his teammates have laid down a marker. The challenge now is to continue building, ensuring that when next season’s Champions League campaign comes around, they are even stronger and ready to go even further.
But, to get into the Champions League next season, the Hoops must win the league and then negotiate their way through a qualifier. There is now no automatic place for the Scottish champions to gain entry into the elite competition.
