Auston Trusty sits comfortably in a Manhattan Beach hotel lobby, onlooking a cloudy Westdrift golf course where he has spent much of his downtime since arriving at U.S. men’s national team camp. Just in from a training session in preparation for the CONCACAF Nations League semifinal, the former Philadelphia Union homegrown smiles as he recounts his favorite moment from the recent English Championship season — a breakthrough year for him at Birmingham City on loan from Arsenal.
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“There’s been a lot of really cool moments this year, but I think my favorite moment was my first game against Luton (Town). I had no idea what to expect,” he said. “It was my first experience of English football. The fans and the craziness in that unique stadium, it was all super, super cool.”
On the opening day of the 2022-23 season, Trusty lined up at left center back, helping his side keep a clean sheet in the 0-0 draw. During one of Luton’s attacks, Carlton Morris made a diagonal run into the box, crossing into Trusty’s zone. The defender slid in an attempt to stop Morris’ momentum, but the striker cut back, evading Trusty. Despite the slide taking him out of play, he recovered quickly to block Morris’ attempt on target from close range.
“That’s when the first USA chant started,” Trusty described. “I don’t know who started it, but they were right behind me. They started chanting ‘USA, USA.’ Thinking back now, I’m getting chills.”
For Trusty, to be instantly embraced by the Birmingham supporters — having moved to the Championship on loan after completing a transfer from the Colorado Rapids to Arsenal — was a comforting surprise.
“For some reason, I thought I had more to prove being American, and maybe you think other people think the same too,” he said. “I had a bit of a chip on my shoulder. But when I heard them cheer ‘USA’, I was like, ‘Okay, these guys have my back.’”
The 24-year-old has a message for Americans in the sport who may feel inferior among the grandeur of English football: Don’t. Since the 1994 World Cup, which helped spur the creation of Major League Soccer, countless Americans have traveled to Europe and succeeded as players and coaches. After spells in England and Germany, Landon Donovan remains as much a household name across the Atlantic as he does in his home state of California. And Brian McBride, Brad Friedel, Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey and Christian Pulisic, among notable others, have proven American internationals have what it takes to carve long careers in the Premier League. While England has a proud heritage, boasting the world’s most popular league and claiming the tag “the home of football”, Trusty did not feel an ounce of prejudice from supporters, teammates or coaches regarding his nationality.
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“The Birmingham supporters latched on me. It helped me tremendously; it really, really did. The British like banter, and it’s a little different than American – it’s kind of more ruthless and brutal, but it’s love,” he said. “When you first see that, you take it personally, but once you get into the atmosphere and learn the culture, you see it’s actually like a show of love.”
Trusty leaving MLS and making an immediate impression in the Championship was, by his own admission, quite an accomplishment. England’s second tier is unlike football he had previously experienced, describing it as, “nothing you can explain unless you actually go through it. It’s no joke. Like 100% a grind every single moment: mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.” Four goals and 44 league appearances later, he left as the Birmingham supporters’ player of the season.
Before the World Cup break, Birmingham had started to put together a run of positive results and sat within reach of the play-off places. But, amidst several failed takeover attempts and a fire at their Wast Hills training ground in early March, forcing them to train at a facility outside of the city previously used for rugby, the wheels fell off their season and they were drawn into a relegation fight. Still, Trusty remembers his first campaign in English football with a beaming grin on his face.
“I look back at it smiling; I was just so happy. You go through ups and downs; truly, there were so many ups and downs for the team this year, and we grew closer together. It’s been a really good opportunity for me and the best place to go alone. It was just really beneficial for me,” said Trusty. “The staff, coaches and teammates accepted me right from the bat. I didn’t feel any type of way towards anybody – everyone just wanted to win.”
While at Birmingham, Trusty was asked to play several roles across the backline under head coach John Eustace. Though he sees himself as a center back moving forward, Trusty primarily played as the left central defender in a back three or as a left fullback when Eustace switched from his favored wing-back formation to four in defense. Having grown up as a striker and filled almost every role from back to front, he sees gaining experience across various roles as an attribute that sets him apart.
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“When guys are hurt, and we need people to step up, I’m not gonna say no to my coach. I’m going to go and do the best job I can,” said Trusty. “I thought I did fairly well in the games and stepped up when I could. You just gotta do what’s best for the team. If I can show that I can play left back, that shows my versatility, and it helps grow my game as I can see it differently: how to time tackles, your timing of making runs and getting the whip (on crosses). There are so many aspects to left-back, and then playing LCB is a mixture of both roles.
“Playing in these positions, your touch and the way you receive the ball gets better and also helps you think about how other positions receive the ball. How am I playing the ball to my teammate? What does it look like for him? This picture is so different when playing in different positions. There’s no downside to it. It’s just helping you break through, gain and grow in your mindset and gain further appreciation for your teammates.”
His performances at St. Andrews, Birmingham’s home ground, helped earn him a selection to the USMNT’s camp in March. Though he’d been called up before, with a strong season in England’s second tier under his belt, then-interim head coach Anthony Hudson gave Trusty his first senior cap in a 7-1 win against Grenada in a CONCACAF Nations League qualifier. In his view, that call-up, over three years after his first, was the perfect time to pull on the stars and stripes for the first time at the senior level. Though a goal from Grenada’s Myles Hippolyte took the glean off a convincing team performance where Trusty assisted Weston McKennie’s second goal, the center back showed the promise necessary to remain firmly in the national team’s plans
“It was a huge accomplishment for me and really cool to win in that fashion. It was like it couldn’t have gone better,” he said. “I felt confident, I felt like a leader on the team, I felt like a leader on the field and I felt like I’d been there before. I had opportunities when I was 19 or 20, and I was on the bench, but I think it was the best thing for me because, with more experience, I came onto the field with a different mindset than I would have when I was younger.”
Standing 6 feet 3 inches tall, with a combination of athleticism and speed, the left-footed center back is a physically imposing presence. Paired with his technical ability, ranking in the 95th percentile or better in progressive passes (1.16), tackles (2.21) and blocks (1.80) per 90 among center backs across Opta’s “Next Eight” competitions (MLS, Championship, Brazilian Serie A, Dutch Eredivisie, Liga MX, Portuguese Primeira Liga, Copa Libertadores and the UEFA Conference League), Trusty belongs among the USMNT’s young and talented players.
And with B.J. Callaghan, the U.S. national team’s interim head coach, he has plenty of history from his youth football days in Philadelphia.
“B.J.’s a great coach,” said the Media, Pennsylvania native. “I’ve known him since I was probably eight or seven. He has worked his way up from Villanova assistant coach and Union Juniors coach to now the national head coach, which is sick; that’s so cool. I’m just really happy for him. He’s had this opportunity, and I’m happy that I made the camp and can help show the world that he’s a good coach.
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“I have nothing but good things to say about B.J. He’s helped me out so much. He’s spent countless hours with me one-on-one, working on my game. He’s brutally honest, and whether it’s in a good way, he’ll tell you how it is. He’s a good guy to have around this organization, whether as a coach or a head coach.”
But Trusty isn’t resting on a long-term friendship with the coach as a route into the national squad; he’s earned the opportunity through hard work and quality performances. With a place in the final of the Nations League on the line in Thursday’s match against Mexico, the group is motivated to continue on its path towards success, particularly with the prospect of playing in the 2024 Copa América and 2026 World Cup on home soil on the agenda. With just one cap to his name, he is not firmly a member of the core of the squad yet, so through demonstrating his skill in training, making on and off-field relationships with his teammates and staying dedicated and present, his eyes are firmly on becoming an established part of the senior setup.
“My only focus is just to keep proving myself and showing my teammates that I can do the job and be that guy,” he said. “That will also show the coach that I am that guy and can be that solid core that I’ve proven I can be in the past different teams I’ve been on, especially now after playing in the Championship, where (my performances) have to be respected. My only focus is showing my teammates what I can do and being reliable at center back.”
Trusty has stayed out of contact with his agent since the end of the season to focus on the national team and spending quality time with his family — who he has missed greatly since moving to the United Kingdom — despite the prospect of a move this summer. Contracted to Arsenal, who he stayed in regular contact with throughout his period on loan in Birmingham, Rangers are interested in a transfer, though they could face competition for his signature given his age, quality and experience in England’s second tier.
It’s a common theme among the current USMNT call-ups. Like Trusty, the newest U.S. international Folarin Balogun is returning to Arsenal after a stellar season on loan in France’s Ligue 1. Teammates Pulisic, McKennie, Yunus Musah and several others could also be on the move this summer.
“I definitely speak to the other players (about potential moves) because we’ve all been in these environments. The football world is very small, so if you’re in a situation a lot of guys have been in, it’s good to talk to people here because not too many people, at least around me, other than my agent and the team, are going to understand the ins and outs fully,” Trusty said. “We all talk about it all day, all different scenarios and situations, which is good and helps me figure things out. But my mind really is focused on the national team right now. It’s hard for me to focus on (the transfer window) because it’s almost like I’m doing a discredit to the national team because it’s such an honor and privilege to be here.”
Whether it’s by prompting the Birmingham City supporters to chant ‘USA’ after a last-ditch tackle or earning his first cap for the national team in a dominant win, Trusty has a knack for making a lasting first impression.
The next step is translating that into a consistent spot in the heart of the defense for country and club, wherever that may be.
(Photo: John Dorton/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
