For any aspiring young footballer, playing at the World Cup is often the be-all and end-all. Celtic central defender Auston Trusty is no exception.
Trusty – who is expected to make Mauricio Pochettino's 26-man United States squad for this summer's tournament on home soil – swapped Sheffield United for Glasgow's East End in 2024.
But when he initially joined Celtic, the 27-year-old had not played for his country in over 12 months. The opportunity to rebuild his international stock was a key driver in Trusty's decision to join Celtic.
"Every decision I've ever made in my career has been to put myself in a position to be in the World Cup," Trusty explained.
"So when I had the chance to come here, that's why I took full advantage of it, because the eyes I get here, and the player I can become being a Celtic player, the mindset, the trophies, just being a Celtic player in general... it can really propel you into the next situation.
"So that was the real mindset of me coming here, to give myself the best opportunity to play in the national team."
Four of Trusty's six U.S. caps have come as a Celtic player. He described joining the club as the 'best decision ever'.
The U.S. are in Group D at the World Cup alongside Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey.
Los Angeles Stadium in California – where two of their three group stage matches take place – is a mere 2,700 miles from Media, Pennsylvania, where Trusty was born. It is a five-hour flight or a 38-hour drive. Convenient.
But that won't take away from how Trusty will feel if he lines up alongside 10 other Americans to sing The Star-Spangled Banner.
"It would mean everything to me [to play at a World Cup]," he said.
"I know sometimes people think it's not as calculated, but as a player, you really have to think about this stuff and put yourself in the best position to then go ahead and achieve your goals.
"That's why coming to Celtic was really the best decision ever for me."
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The World Cup coming Stateside has drawn widespread – and often unwanted – attention. Ticket prices have skyrocketed, and concerns over transport to and from stadiums on matchdays are considerable, not to mention the politically unstable nature of the U.S at the minute.
Trusty's focus is solely on football. He hopes the tournament can inspire the next generation of Clint Dempseys and Christian Pulisics.
"When we played Portugal and Belgium [in friendlies in March], I think we had almost 80,000 fans there or 70,000 or 60,000, whatever," Trusty added.
"There's still a significant amount of people who showed up. It just shows the momentum that's building and then obviously the branding and the marketing and the advertising and all the stuff that's going around the big spectacle of the World Cup coming to the U.S. It's going to be really big.
"I think it'll be a big catalyst for the U.S. for football and soccer just to grow and for your little kids to maybe not pick American football, maybe not pick basketball, they pick soccer.
"That's the identity they want to have and that's the sport they want to choose to go for. I think the last World Cup was in 1994 and I wasn't even born yet!
"I've seen the U.S. really embrace the World Cup, embrace football to its fullest. So in today's world with all the technology and all that, everything on social media, I really think it will be amazing."
Trusty's Celtic teammate and fellow American defender Cameron Carter-Vickers, capped 19 times by the U.S., won't recover from an Achilles tendon injury in time for the World Cup.
Carter-Vickers has been sidelined since pulling up at the tail-end of a Europa League victory over Sturm Graz last October and has yet to return.
Trusty said of his countryman: "I think he's excited for the country. I think regardless of the situation, you want soccer, football to advance in the country and keep growing and to inspire the next generation.
"Obviously, I think he's sad to maybe be out of the mix, and a couple of other guys have gotten injured. I think he's proud of all of us, whoever's in it to enhance the game in America."
The appointment of Pochettino as U.S. manager in September 2024 appeared to signify a new dawn for the national team.
The former Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea boss is the highest-paid coach in U.S. soccer history.
With interim Celtic manager Martin O'Neill, there aren't many differences.
"He's good, obviously. He's a world-class coach," Trusty said of Pochettino.
"He's coached some of the best players – if not the best players – in the entire world. So he's a good guy, but also it's really good to learn from him.
"Every coach is different. Some are managers, some are coaches, some are both. I think Mauricio is really, really hands-on and Martin is too. It's hard to really compare."
Celtic will have considerable representation across the pond this summer. Kieran Tierney and Anthony Ralston are expected to feature for Scotland. Sebastian Tounekti's Tunisia are in Group F, alongside Benjamin Nygren's Sweden and Daizen Maeda's Japan.
Alistair Johnston has recently recovered from a hamstring injury and, all going well, will play for Canada, with Yang Hyun-jun pushing for a berth in the South Korea squad.
"It's tough to really have that [World Cup] in the background and have so much to play for here [at Celtic] and not really think about it," admits Trusty.
"But I think all of us who could possibly be involved in the World Cup for their countries just have to stay grounded and take it day by day."
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