CHESTER, Pa. (AP) – Auston Trusty’s first experience with Mark McKenzie and Brenden Aaronson was in a cramped youth soccer locker room as a teenager. The 27-year-old defender is aiming to join next year’s World Cup squad alongside some of his longtime friends from the U.S. national team.
“When we think about it, we laugh and say it’s crazy,” Trusty said ahead of Saturday’s friendly against Paraguay. “It’s so great to know that we’ve all been on the same journey together.”
Trusty has moved from MLS sides Philadelphia and Colorado to Arsenal, Birmingham, Sheffield United and now Glasgow Celtic.
“I think back to when we were in Wayne, Pennsylvania, and there were 70 of us crammed into a small locker room taking a shower,” McKenzie said. “We’ve come a long way.”
Trusty and McKenzie are the center back duo for the Philadelphia Union’s Bethlehem Steel Farm team, which moved to the third division in 2016 and the second division the following year with the addition of Aaronson and current No. 1 goalie in America Matt Freese.
All four are products of Union’s youth academy, which moved this summer to the luxurious $100 million, 170,000-square-foot WSFS Bank Sportsplex on the Delaware River and adjacent to the senior team’s Subaru Park.
Trusty became interested in soccer after watching his older sister Oney, a defender, commit to Florida State University in 2006.
Aaronson and McKenzie made their U.S. debuts against Costa Rica in 2020, and Trusty made his first international appearance in the CONCACAF Nations League in Grenada on March 24, 2023, while Freeze made his debut against Turkey in June of this year, replacing Matt Turner as the starter.
Since Trusty’s debut, all three of his appearances for the national team have come as substitutes: against Canada in June 2023, against Mexico in October 2024 and against Jamaica during Mauricio Pochettino’s first training camp last November.
In the absence of Chris Richards and injured Celtic teammate Cameron Carter-Vickers, Trusty is one of just three central defenders to join McKenzie and Tim Ream in camp. Pochettino has been experimenting with three-man centre-back formations this fall, and there is a growing possibility that Trustee will make a key appearance in Tuesday’s games against No. 39 Paraguay and No. 15 Uruguay in Tampa, Florida.
“He’s always been confident, but I think he’s more confident,” said Ream, captain of the 16th-ranked U.S. team. “He has a better, much better understanding of different kinds of positions, different tactical shapes. In fact, he has more experience. That’s the biggest thing as a centre-back.”
During his year away from the national team, Trusty watched games online, even though they started late at night and early in the morning. He is in England for his fourth season with the club.
“It’s dark and raining everywhere every day, so you get used to it,” he says.
He came on as a second-half substitute in Celtic’s first three games, but felt pain in his right foot during a Champions League qualifier against Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty on 20 August. Trusty was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis and did not play again until October 29th.
“It was just bad timing, really,” he said. “It’s a nasty injury. It has to heal. So there’s not a lot of circulation or blood flow to the bottom of the foot.”
The trustee returned after 6 days. Carter Vickers suffers Achilles tendon injury Europa League match against Sturm Graz and two days later Martin O’Neill replaced Brendan Rodgers as manager. Trusty has started Celtic’s last four games.
“I know they watch every game,” he said of Pochettino’s staff.
Trusty provided the assist for Callum McGregor’s winning goal in extra time in the Scottish League Cup semi-final against Rangers and was named man of the match in Sunday’s Scottish Premier League game against Kilmarnock.
“He started playing and played very well,” Pochettino said. “We are a little lacking in that area.”
Trusty is left-handed and was paired with right-handed Carter-Vickers at Celtic.
“Luckily for the team, I’m comfortable playing on the right side,” Trusty said. “It’s not often that a lot of left footers, especially left centre-backs, are comfortable playing on the right flank. So, yeah, I stepped in and was able to get a positive result.”
Trusty had a chance to play in his hometown for the first time since leaving the Union for the 2020 season. The U.S. trained at the facilities of YSC Academy, the coalition’s education partner, and Trustee became a director. He acquired 40 tickets to the game for his family and friends.
He hopes this is a step toward being selected to represent the United States in the World Cup, which will be co-hosted with the United States next summer.
“Everything I do, everything I put myself into, it’s all very, very calculated to put myself at the best chance for the national team and to play in the World Cup,” he said. “It really means everything to me.”
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