Auston Trusty is a left-footed center-back in the USMNT squad, a defender whose rare left-sided balance and aerial strength make him a useful option. A Philadelphia Union product who built his career in England and now plays for Celtic, Trusty gives head coach Mauricio Pochettino defensive depth and a different profile at a home World Cup.
From Philadelphia to Celtic
Trusty came through the Philadelphia Union before a move to Arsenal, from where loan and permanent spells at Birmingham City and Sheffield United built his game in England. He has since joined Celtic, taking his career to the Scottish champions. The table below covers his main club spells in our database.
| Club | Apps | Tackles won | Interceptions | Clearances | Aerial duels won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Union | 58 | 74 | 90 | 222 | 137 |
| Birmingham City (loan) | 48 | 76 | 81 | 205 | 156 |
| Celtic | 81 | 58 | 50 | 348 | 239 |
What the numbers say
Trusty’s record is the body of work of a busy, aerially strong center-back: 348 clearances and 239 aerial duels won at Celtic, on top of heavy clearance and aerial numbers at Birmingham and Philadelphia. His left-footedness is the differentiator, giving a back line natural balance and a cleaner build-up angle from the left side.
Auston Trusty and the USMNT
For the United States, Trusty is left-sided center-back depth behind Chris Richards and Tim Ream, a like-for-like option for the left of the central pairing. See where he fits in our USMNT roster guide.
USA 4-1 Paraguay and what is next
Trusty was part of the squad but did not feature in the 4-1 win over Paraguay at SoFi Stadium, with Richards and Ream the starting pair. Read the full USA vs Paraguay player ratings. Next up is Australia in Seattle on June 19. Planning to go? See our World Cup 2026 tickets guide. For the bigger picture, see our World Cup 2026 hub and the latest World Cup 2026 winner odds, with more at U.S. Soccer. Must be 21+ and present in a state where betting is legal. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Trusty’s underlying numbers
One detail the headline numbers miss is Trusty’s goal threat. He has scored 11 club goals in our database, 7 of them headers, including 4 during his loan at Birmingham City, where he actually outscored his expected goals of 3.41. For a center-back, that is a meaningful set-piece return on top of his defending.
At Celtic, the aerial and duel dominance is clear: he won 239 of 369 aerials (around 65 percent) and 369 of his 585 ground duels (about 63 percent), while blocking 50 shots. The left-footed balance the profile flags comes packaged with genuine physical defending and a habit of chipping in at the other end.
Auston Trusty is an American left-footed center-back for Celtic and a squad option for the USMNT. He came through the Philadelphia Union and built his career in England before moving to Scotland.
Trusty came through the Philadelphia Union, then moved to Arsenal, with loan and permanent spells at Birmingham City and Sheffield United, before joining Celtic.
He is a left-footed center-back, strong in the air and a reliable clearer of his lines, whose left foot helps balance a back line and build from the left.
No. Trusty was part of the squad but did not feature in the 4-1 win over Paraguay, with Chris Richards and Tim Ream starting at center-back.