ORLANDO, Fla. - Over the last few years, Auston Trusty has gotten really skilled at moving and, more important, even better at adjusting. It's the direction his career has taken him. Philadelphia, Denver, London, Birmingham, Sheffield - those have all been all stops along the way.
The U.S. men's national team defender has never really stayed in one place for too long, bouncing between different clubs with different visions and different styles.
This summer was his biggest bounce yet: all the way up to Glasgow. By signing with Celtic, Trusty made a big career decision. It's one that allows him to play at a level higher than ever before: the Champions League. It's one that allows him to consistently compete for titles under one of the world's biggest microscopes. It's also one that allows him to push for the USMNT chance that he'd never really gotten.
Trusty's skillset got him here. His defending, size, physicality - they all got him to this level. It might just be his adaptability that's his biggest asset now, though, as he looks to take lessons from his travels into a new-look USMNT. Right now, Trusty finds himself very much in the middle of a U.S. centerback race. The lessons he's learned along the way make him feel ready.
"I've had to be able to mold into so many new environments," Trusty said. "It's been really fast, but it's been good. Not a lot of players, I would think, could be thrown in these different positions and thrive, I guess. I've been able to with a team that is really, really good. They make it very easy to just move in and then start doing my thing and feel comfortable and be in good positions.
"I've had a lot of experiences in the past few years because I've been moving around. I've had to find a way. I've had to get really good at being able to mold to different situations, organizations, in the locker room, outside of locker room, into new cities, new environments."
Ahead of the USMNT's CONCACAF Nations League clash with Jamaica, GOAL sat down with Trusty to discuss his move to Celtic, the lessons learned and what makes this USMNT moment so exciting for him, in the latest Wednesday Convo.
NOTE: This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.