Arsenal’s Auston Trusty: Inspired by Ronaldinho, World Cup dreams and Birmingham loan (2024)

Auston Trusty points to his white Nike Tiempo boots as the source of inspiration.

Growing up, he would watch clips of Ronaldinho wearing the same footwear as his love for the sport grew in Pennsylvania, a US state not known for producing footballers.

Trusty, now 23, signed for Arsenal from Colorado Rapids in January and will spend the 2022-23 season on loan at Birmingham City in the Championship, but he says his journey has not been straightforward.

“I grew up playing football in the backyard by myself,” the centre-back says after an impressive training session at Birmingham’s Wast Hills base.

“Getting my friends to play football was impossible. It was always American football or basketball. I’d bargain with my closest (in age) brother, who played lacrosse. I’d play with him for a bit if he played football and that’s how I trained when I was younger.”

As well as Ronaldinho, his sister, Onnie, really made the difference.

She also loved football and played for the US at youth level, allowing a young Auston the chance to be a ball boy at big games and meet famous figures in the industry.

“I was the youngest of six and everyone was a superstar in their sports,” he says. “I was dragged through all of their games by choice. I went to basketball, long-distance track, football, triple jump and high jump, lacrosse, and then there was me.

“So my sister, I grew up watching her and I loved it. I remember her travelling all around the world going to all of these places and I thought, ‘Wow, I really want to do that’. That, and the South Africa World Cup, cemented the love of the game for me.”

Still, turning a childhood dream into reality — and now with the drive to make the US’s World Cup squad — was far from simple.

Trusty has worked hard — “incredibly hard”, according to those who know him well — to get to where he is today.

He is in a small batch of MLS graduates in England battling to lift the reputation of football in his homeland.

“OK, so Christian Pulisic plays for Chelsea but that’s just one guy. One American,” Trusty says. “He’s separated and you put everybody else into another group. Once more guys start coming over and establishing themselves, people will realise these guys can play and it will help.”

Trusty actually tried his hand at American football as a running back in school and claims he “did pretty good, but got so banged up” that he decided football (his Birmingham team-mates have warned him not to say “soccer”) was better for him.

A Sliding Doors moment then occurred on the day he was supposed to start further education alongside college football for North Carolina Tar Heels. Instead, at the age of 17, he signed pro for Philadelphia Union, where the stadium was just a few minutes away from the home he grew up in.

“I called my coach and told him that I wasn’t going and he still hasn’t talked to me to the day,” he says. “But I recently graduated college. I did online school for the past four years, studying business.”

Only time will tell where that qualification will take him. For now, football is his future and he’s at Birmingham for the season with no break clause before returning to Arsenal, the Premier League club that signed him seven months ago before loaning him back to the Rapids, where he played 16 games of the current MLS season.

Life in England is fresh and full of adventure. He met some of his new team-mates and coaching staff at Arsenal last week and will remain in close contact with loans manager Ben Knapper.

Early trips into Birmingham’s city centre have been fun. “The food is on point,” he says. “I’m liking Nando’s and Wagamama!”

Inevitably, there have also been a few rough days. “I was a little bit homesick when I first moved into my place. Once I was able to chill, I realised it was just me and that’s when I started missing home for a bit. Now I’m close to the team and getting closer with some of the players, it’s good. The transition is starting and the welcome has been good from everybody.”

The real challenge is helping Birmingham tighten up a leaky back line and, in turn, show Arsenal he is ready for the rigours of English football and capable of the step up.

Trusty is agile and difficult to beat. He reads the game well and is comfortable playing in a three-man defence, the way John Eustace is primed to set up his team for the start of this season.

A larger talent pool is developing in MLS and English clubs are more willing to give players a chance.

After just a handful of training sessions, Birmingham club captain Troy Deeney can see why Arsenal have experimented with the signing.

“We’ve given him a bit of stick about being American… he’s very American,“ Deeney says, laughing. “But on a serious note, he’s going to be really impressive this year, not only because he’s a lefty and they all look better but he’s athletically explosive, he’s dominant, and if he talks a little bit more he’s got a chance of going onto that next level.

“We’re very lucky to have him and we’ll keep giving him stick. We’ll try to make him a man before he leaves and hopefully, I’ll get an NFL ticket off him in return.”

Trusty hopes the next few months can shape an exciting end to 2022. He’s focused on getting into the thoughts of US coach Gregg Berhalter before the World Cup in Qatar.

Berhalter is aware of his talent having called him up to train with the squad already this year but he’s yet to make an appearance.

“If I come here and do my job, that can prove a lot,” he says. “Playing MLS and doing well there, you get some respect and get noticed a little bit more. But if I come here and play my game like I can, I could turn a lot of heads, open a lot of eyes.”

The opportunity to play against England, where Trusty believes football is at a “gold standard”, in Qatar is appealing. He says the national team are pumped up because they’ve heard all the old suggestions about not being good enough.

“There is a stigma where we get the ‘they can’t play’ talk, just because we’re Americans. People have heard that before and we have to prove ourselves because of it. It’s how we feel.

“I think we’re really good, but yeah, if the USA can go and beat England, we’re going to be feeling pretty happy about that.”

High-profile players in MLS have talked about the domestic game’s improving standard and Trusty believes the league is getting stronger.

“I know in the past all the players in Europe who are more established have come over to bring fans and bring money, but they also still have quality. The league is slowly leaning out of that phase, even though Gareth Bale has just come over as an older player. But he’s still pretty fit and doing his job.”

Trusty reckons the Championship is at a similar level but assumes it will be more intense because of the increased schedule of games.

“I expect it to be more of a grind. MLS players can come here and play, it’s just whether you can handle the aspect of the grind because guys really want it here.

“Even in training, our own players are pressing hard because they want to show what they can do and make an impact. But I’m ready. My mindset is, ‘go until I drop, man’. I’m just so excited for it.”

(Top photo: John Todd/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Gregg Evans is a Staff Writer for The Athletic covering Liverpool. Previously he reported on Aston Villa and spent over a decade at the Birmingham Mail covering West Midlands football. His time with Villa included the drop into the Championship and then an incredible return to European football. He also covers golf. Follow Gregg on Twitter @greggevans40