Auston Trusty Dismisses Hearts Title Hype as Celtic Chase Scottish Premiership Crown
Celtic defender Auston Trusty has rejected the narrative surrounding Hearts’ title challenge, insisting the Scottish Premiership trophy remains within reach for the champions despite their current deficit.
The American international, currently on duty with the USA squad, spoke out against the “negativity” surrounding Celtic’s campaign as they trail league leaders Hearts by five points with seven matches remaining. Trusty believes the focus on a potential new champion reflects media appetite for underdog stories rather than sporting reality.
“It’s really our trophy to take,” Trusty told The Inquirer. “Yes, we’ve had a lot of ups and downs this year, but I think if it was years before, the trophy would be ours and we’d be in really good standing. But, obviously, we’ve kind of made it difficult on ourselves this year. We gave other people a chance to make a run for themselves, so now we’re playing catch-up.”
The 26-year-old suggested that when established powers falter, alternative narratives gain traction. “When someone new comes in, negativity sells. If Celtic or the big guys aren’t doing so well, [a team] like Hearts could possibly win the league. People like that story a little better.”
Trusty’s defiant stance echoes the mentality preached by USA manager Mauricio Pochettino, whose “why not us” philosophy has resonated with the squad. “It’s kind of the mindset you have to take,” Trusty explained. “Even to become a professional athlete, you just have to have the mindset of, ‘Why not me? Why can’t I be the one to make it pro? Why can’t I be the one to put myself, my family, in a [good] position while being pro?’ It’s a collective. Why not us?”
The defender has established himself as a key figure under Martin O’Neill since arriving from Sheffield United, though his international opportunities remain limited with just three USA appearances since joining Celtic. He will hope to feature in this summer’s home World Cup, though club teammate Cameron Carter-Vickers faces a race against time to recover from a long-term Achilles injury.
Trusty’s international break has been mixed. He did not feature in Saturday’s 5-2 defeat to Belgium in Atlanta, while other Celtic players experienced contrasting fortunes. Hyunjun Yang suffered a costly error in South Korea’s 4-0 loss to Ivory Coast, Daizen Maeda captained Japan to a 1-0 victory over Scotland at Hampden, and Sebastian Tounekti scored his first international goal for Tunisia against Haiti.