Celtic pressure won't faze my mate Auston Trusty - I just wish he'd signed for Rangers instead

Danny Wilson was Auston Trusty's defensive partner in the MLS and ex-Ibrox defender is convinced that he'll excel for Celtic

He wishes his pal had ended up on the blue side of Glasgow. Actually, he even tried to play a tiny part in making it happen. But the fact Auston Trusty signed for Celtic and not Rangers this summer doesn’t change Danny Wilson’s view.

That the American is going to excel in Scotland and thrive under the pressure of playing for an Old Firm club. Wilson was Trusty’s defensive partner at MLS outfit Colorado Rapids for three years. And the former Rangers centre-back has never been in any doubt about his ability. Trusty earned a big move to Arsenal and was linked with a move to Ibrox last year before a switch to Sheffield United.

After sampling the Premier League, he’s now at Parkhead after Brendan Rodgers splurged £6 million of his summer transfer budget to get him. On Wednesday night, Trusty made his Hoops debut off the bench in their 5-1 Champions League demolition of Slovan Bratislava. And the USA international is likely to be handed his first start in Sunday's Premier Sports Cup quarter-final against Falkirk.

Right now, he’s having to bide his time with Irish defender Liam Scales in possession of a shirt alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers. But Wilson is convinced that when Trusty eventually becomes a fixture in Rodgers’ line-up - he’ll stay there.

The 32-year-old told Record Sport: “I spoke to Auston last year when the Rangers interest was there. I didn’t think he’d end up at Ibrox as I always felt he’d want to test himself in the Premier League. “I touched base with him to see if there was anything in it - but he wasn’t giving too much away. I’d have preferred if he was on the other side of the city. But he’ll do well at Celtic, I’ve no doubts about that.

“Auston will handle it here. Nothing seems to faze him and he’s relaxed in everything he does. He’s also got a real belief in his ability.

“Going to a club like Celtic won’t faze him at all. He’ll have to earn the right to be a starter there but once he does, he’ll be fine. He’s got a job on his hands with Scales in the team. But once Auston gets in, it will be very hard to shift him. He’s got the right temperament for Glasgow. That has led him to this move.

“He hasn’t rushed anything he’s ever done, he’s made smart steps at the right time in his career. He now finds himself at a Champions League club in Celtic and they’ll be strong favourites for the title and domestic cups. That’s the challenge for Auston, to go and win things.

“Last season, with all respect, nothing was expected of Sheffield United in the Champions League. But he’s in a different scenario now where everything is expected of them.

“I don’t have to give him any advice because he’s a sensible guy. He doesn’t drink and he looks after himself, in terms of his diet and stuff like that.

“He’s not someone who’s out all the time, which is important when you play for one of the big two in Glasgow. You can’t be here, there and everywhere. Auston isn’t that type and when Celtic will have done their checks on him, they’ll have found this out.

“They’ll know he has the temperament to be successful there. Anyone who has ever worked with him will have told them that.”

It takes a special type of character to deal with Old Firm pressure and be successful. But after seeing Trusty close up in the States and getting to know his personality, Wilson believes his former team-mate fits the criteria. The Scot, who was thrust into the limelight as a youngster at Ibrox before a move to Liverpool, says Trusty isn’t like most footballers.

He said: “Mentally, Auston is very switched on. He’s different from other players because he’s really intelligent. He’s into different things off the field and he’s got the right temperament for life at Celtic.

“They’ve made a good decision in buying him. Obviously there were links with Rangers last season and I was hoping that would happen. It never transpired and he was probably destined to have at least a season in the Premier League. But he’ll have wanted to test himself at Champions League level and he’ll get that opportunity now at Celtic.”

Wilson first met Trusty when he arrived in Colorado from Philadelphia Union as a 21-year-old centre-half. Despite a Covid-hit season in 2020, the pair soon connected, on and off the pitch. And Wilson, who is currently a free agent after leaving Queen’s Park this summer, always felt Trusty would reach the top. He said: “You could tell early on how good a player Auston was going to be.

“He came to us at a young age but had already played games for Philadelphia. We traded for him and, right away, you could see had all the attributes. He’s very good in all aspects of the game and is a great professional.

“He was 6ft 4, left-sided and quick. He just needed a wee bit of guidance. Initially, we were playing a back four and as we were both left-siders, it was either me or him playing. We were in competition with each other. But in the second year, we started together with me on the right before we eventually went into a back three.

“Pretty quickly, with the more games he played, it became clear we weren’t going to be able to hold on to Auston for much longer. And that’s how it panned out as he signed for Arsenal. He’s now got a big move to Celtic and he’ll do very well there.”

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