Celtic have their player of the year already as fans hail star who was an ‘absolute machine’ vs Bologna
Celtic battled hard to earn a 2-2 draw away at Bologna in the Europa League on Thursday night.
The Bhoys were forced to play with 10 men for over 55 minutes after Reo Hatate received two yellow cards in three minutes, but they hung on to secure a point that keeps their hopes of qualification for the Europa League’s play-off round alive.
Ex-FIFA referee Keith Hackett exclusively told Football Insider that he feels Martin O’Neill could have prevented Hatate’s red card by substituting him after his first yellow card, with the midfielder showing signs of frustration.
Instead, O’Neill was left hailing the performance from the rest of his team, as they rallied to take a significant point home from Italy in challenging circumstances.
Goals from Hatate and Auston Trusty proved to be enough to avoid defeat in Bologna, and fans were quick to lavish praise on the players at full-time.
Celtic fans hail Auston Trusty for ‘beyond heroic’ performance
Celtic fans slammed Trusty for his display against Rangers in their recent defeat on home turf in the Old Firm Derby, but they have now been made to eat their words regarding the centre-back.
The American arrived at the back post to turn in a crucial second goal for his team just five minutes before the half-time interval, with his strike ultimately vital in terms of the final result.
The 27-year-old also caught the eye with several invaluable defensive interventions throughout the 90 minutes, as he played a hugely important role in ensuring that O’Neill’s men left with something to show for their efforts.
Trusty’s display certainly wasn’t lost on the Celtic faithful, who took to X after the game to heap praise on the defender for the role that he played.
One fan suggested that the former Sheffield United man “must” win the club’s player of the year award at the end of the season, while another labelled him an “absolute machine.”
Several fans pointed out that Trusty’s display was his best in a Celtic shirt, with one supporter even suggesting that he was “beyond heroic” with his display in midweek.
- @DominikDiamond: “Magnificent effort from Celtic to hang on for a point with 10 men away in Italy. Trusty exceptional.”
- @benji70: “Great team performance but our defence was resolute and Trusty in particular was a colossus.”
- @Lewis_CFC_120: “Trusty’s best game in a Celtic top today.”
The remarkable stats behind Trusty’s display vs Bologna
Memories of Trusty’s display for Celtic in that defeat to Rangers have surely now been firmly erased, given how important he was to their result on Thursday.
The defender has started just 13 of the Bhoys’ 22 games in the Premiership so far this term, but he will surely find himself in line for more regular football after the way that he helped to defend the box in midweek.
| Stats | Trusty Total | Game Rank |
| Minutes | 90 | N/A |
| Goals | 1 | N/A |
| Defensive Contributions | 25 | 1st |
| Clearances | 17 | 1st |
| Interceptions | 3 | =1st |
| Tackles | 2 | =5th |
| Duels Won | 9/13 (69%) | 2nd |
Trusty ended the game with an astonishing 25 defensive contributions, consisting of 17 clearances, two tackles, three blocks and three interceptions.
He led the entire game in two of those metrics, while also recording an impressive success rate of 69 per cent across his 13 duels.
It was a truly remarkable display from the centre-back, who also topped off his performance with a huge goal and a clearance off his own goal line.