Auston Trusty has revealed that he barely knew Martin O'Neill before the veteran manager returned to Celtic, but the pair found common ground over their shared love of the NFL. Now, after winning a league and Scottish Cup double, the American defender believes O'Neill has earned the right to continue next season.
Trusty's growing respect for O'Neill
When Martin O'Neill returned to Celtic and embarked on his first rescue mission following the exit of Brendan Rodgers, Auston Trusty would never have claimed to be an expert on his new manager. He knew the name, of course, and he knew that O'Neill was a hugely significant figure. But he couldn't have recited chapter and verse about the club icon in the same way that Callum McGregor or James Forrest could. Seeking to build a relationship with the veteran boss, the American defender also found that he and O'Neill stumbled across some common ground in their shared love of the NFL.
With the second instalment of O'Neill's rescue mission now complete, and two more trophies in the bag, it is only now that Trusty can fully appreciate the stature of the man. On the back of beating Dunfermline to win a league and Scottish Cup double on Saturday, the Celtic centre-back feels O'Neill has earned the right to go again next season should he want to.
'He has been tremendous,' said Trusty. 'It's not very often you see a 74-year-old coach come back twice in a year to save the day. To win it like we have in the last couple of weeks for him, it's special. He's an icon in the sport — and he's an icon at Celtic for sure. You hear all the fans saying they should build a statue for him — and I agree.'
From NFL chats to Celtic glory
Asked to expand on his relationship with O'Neill, and whether he was aware of the manager's legacy from his first spell at Celtic, Trusty continued: 'Not necessarily. Obviously, being an outsider, being an American, you're still learning about all the history of all the clubs I've ever played for. But to do my research and hear the stories of him as a player and him as a coach, I have nothing but total respect for him. He tells you stories, stories and more stories. From his playing career and also as a manager. I just have so much respect for the man.'
'I didn't realise he's actually a big NFL fan. The Buffalo Bills are his team. We were sitting in the car going to a Europa League game a few months ago and he started talking about the Bills. I was like — wow! We talked about the NFL and he knew so much about it. That was really cool. The Eagles are my team, they're actually going to be playing in London next season. It was really cool to share that with him.'
Celtic's resilience and double triumph
In a season which has lurched from the chaos of Rodgers' exit to the nonsense that unfolded under Wilfried Nancy, Celtic still pulled it out the fire to win a double. They were too strong for Dunfermline on Saturday, too slick and too accurate, and ran out worthy winners in the end. It was after losing 2-0 to Dundee United at Tannadice in March that O'Neill openly questioned the players and whether they really were up for the fight. The response was emphatic. Celtic finished the season with nine straight wins in all competitions. Big players stepped up in big moments, none more so than Daizen Maeda with nine goals in seven matches.
Trusty believes the way that the squad stuck together during some dark times over recent months can only make them stronger heading into next season. 'It has been a really emotional couple of weeks,' he continued. 'Last week was already such a high with winning the league. To end it now by winning a double is even better. This club, this organisation, this team — it's all about winning. We have that winning mentality and I think we've proved it.'
Callum McGregor's leadership
Trusty paid tribute to skipper Callum McGregor for his role in driving the club towards glory. 'We have Callum McGregor as our captain. He's incredible and he's what really kept us driving forward. He was a driving force for us this year to keep going and stay together as a unit. That's what we did — and now you see the results. Cal is just a leader on all fronts. He's so consistent and he's there in every single game — and almost always for the full 90 minutes. But also off the pitch, he's such a strong leader as well. I would not be surprised if he's a manager in the future. He knows the game so well. In terms of his future, that's not up to me. He is his own man, he can decide what he wants to do. But we love him as a player and as a person.'
Despite reported interest from Saudi Arabia, the smart money is on McGregor staying at Celtic and leading the club into next season. Far less certain is the future of Maeda. The Japanese international striker was the subject of a bid from Wolfsburg last summer, with further interest expected over the coming weeks.
Daizen Maeda's impact
Maeda scored the opening goal at Hampden on Saturday and, if it was to be his farewell, Trusty believes his contribution over recent weeks during the run-in speaks for itself. 'Daizen has stepped up in such a big way the past few weeks,' added the American, who is still waiting to find out whether he will be named in his national squad for the World Cup. 'That's what big players do. Big-time players make big-time plays. He's amazing, we love him. It is obviously up to the club and up to Daizen in terms of what happens next for him. In football, everyone has goals and ambitions they want to achieve. I'll support him no matter what because what he's done in the past few weeks — and years — for this club is amazing. Especially in these last couple of weeks, he's created some really special memories for this football club.'
