Auston Trusty

Auston, maybe a bit of a tougher defence to break down tonight just with the way that Dundee United played, but pleased to get all three points?

Yeah, you know, sitting back the majority of the game, we’ve just got to keep the rhythm, keep playing our game and the goals will come.

Obviously, you can be a little frustrated when they're sitting back the entire game, but we're a good team, and we're prepared for that, too, so we knew the goals would come.

Is it as much the mental side of the game when that happens, just to keep that relentlessness, to just keep on going and keep on pushing?

Yeah, a lot of people wouldn't think that it takes a lot of mental capacity to stay in it the entire time, but it's a testament to the team to stay with it and play our game.

Do you think there's been a good reaction since the Rangers game?

Yeah, like I said before in an interview before, there are lows and highs to football, and that was a low for us.

You have good games, you have bad games, we just didn't show up for that game, and it's a testament to the team and how we react to things.

We've had lows before already in the season and it shows the true character of a team to bounce back from losses, so hopefully, it showed you guys and everyone else that we're a good team.

16 points clear now, that's a fantastic position to be in come January, isn't it?

Yeah, it's game by game. I don't think any of us are focusing on, we're not counting the points, we're just focusing on game by game and doing our job.

Is the excitement though that there's more to come from this side, even though you are 16 points at the moment, there are more gears to go?

Yeah, we're striving every day to get better and have more cohesion as a team and get better in every aspect of the game, and so hopefully we can show and get opportunities to show more of this and how we're advancing as a team.



You had the fans singing a song for yourself and Cameron (Carter-Vickers) tonight again, have you heard that?

Yeah, I heard, it's amazing.

To be far from home and not have family around, I remember I went to my first stop here in England, not to go to Scotland, but like in the UK was Birmingham City in my first game. I made a slide tackle play and the fans started chanting “USA, USA”, and it just made me feel at home right from the start.

To be here for a short bit already and to have a song with myself and Cameron, it just means the world to me and it just makes you really feel at home.

That's the thing, people maybe don't realise it, but it does make a difference when you hear that sort of thing?

Yeah, totally. You have backing and people appreciate what you do and it's just an amazing feeling to have that and to see fans singing and mentioning your name.

It's just a really good feeling.

Have people back home been noticing it online?

Yeah, I've had some messages. They're just loving it.

It's a little bit different being in the United States and you're not here so you don't really feel the atmosphere. If you don't see Celtic Park, or you're not out at Celtic Park, you just have to use your imagination.

But for the ones that have been here, they know what it's like to hear fans singing. They can already tell it's amazing.



You've had a few months now to adjust to life in Glasgow. How do you feel it's going for you? It's good.

There's not much time to live outside of football. You're so focused and so in tune with the team and the daily grind. You don't have too much time for outside life, but I'm trying my best.

I have a pregnant fiancee, so I'm trying to explore the city and get comfortable.

What's made it the attacking side of the game and the goals you guys score and all that stuff and the football you play? I think that's 17 clean sheets and 21 league games. It's some record, isn't it?

I didn't even know that. I think, not that we're expected to do that. If we don't do that, we're not feeling the best.

Again, it's a testament to the team. It starts from the front, too and leads all the way to the back, to Kasper (Schmeichel).

If that's a stat, then that's a good stat for the team.

The partnership that you've struck up with Cameron, we’ve mentioned already how fruitful it is. In terms of that partnership, where does that rank in the defenders that you've played besides the likes of Cameron? How high up would you rank him?

I've played with a lot of good defenders throughout my career, but Cameron's really good.

We have good chemistry. I think every single game we get to play together and the more time we have together, we get to centre-backs and all defenders.

The more you play, the more chemistry you get. I can see it growing and growing every single game knowing what he's going to do and what I'm going to do and how we both react and help each other out.

Game by game, it's getting better and better.

What about the prospect of both of you being the centre defence for the United States next year in the World Cup?

That'd be amazing. I think that's absolutely on my mind and I'm sure for Cameron too. It's on his mind as well.

That alone, we have to do our job here and doing our job here allows us to then propel ourselves into consideration for that team and get the opportunities that we need.

We take care of business here, but yeah, that'd be amazing.



Do you think that's realistic?

Absolutely. Nothing's impossible. Everything's realistic.

It's important you have those targets, isn't it, to try and strive for?

Absolutely. Even before I came here, that's the goal.

That could be quite an advantage as well because not many national team coaches will be able to look at a central defensive partnership that is playing together regularly at club level. That could really help make an easy transition to the international level?

Yeah, absolutely. I think you want chemistry, especially in the backline. You want chemistry guys who actually know what they're doing and playing at a high level.

It doesn't hurt us whatsoever.

There's always talk about interest in Cameron at every transfer window. Again, this window, there's talk about him again. I'm guessing you're thinking: “Don't go anywhere. Cameron, stick tight. Stay with you?”

I haven't seen anything.

I'm sure everyone on this team is a good player and I'm sure lots of teams, they attract different teams in different leagues and stuff like that, but I can't speak for him.

Auston, someone mentioned it's obviously a very good league to go at the top of the table, but is it tougher than it looks? The way of getting points on the board, is it harder than it looks?

No game is easy.

It's all a challenge. I think if we go out there and if we have the mindset that it's so easy, then that's when things happen. I think we have to, and we are, approach every game in a certain way where we have to respect the other team and go about it in our way because if you don't do that, that's when you slip up.

We take it game by game and treat everyone like it's the Champions League game or whatever - you can't allow yourself to slip up. The coaching staff don't let us do that either, so it's coming from the top, too.

 

@Mr Shelby, or any Mod..can we remove the 'Welcome' from the title, Valle too..

Especially now the new window is open.