‘I’m sorry’ – Auston Trusty speaks out over Jack Butland incident vs Rangers
Auston Trusty has dismissed suggestions that he deserved anything more than a yellow card for a boot to the head of Rangers’ Jack Butland.
Celtic beat Rangers 3-1 at Hampden Park last weekend in a controversial clash which saw the Light Blues reduced to 10 men but the Hoops avoid the same fate.
Thelo Aasgaard was shown a straight red for a high boot on Anthony Ralston in the first half of the Premier Sports Cup semi, but Trusty and Ralston both stayed on the pitch after incidents which incensed Gers fans.
Ralston escaped a second yellow for handball when conceding the penalty to Rangers which James Tavernier equalised from, while Trusty was only booked for kicking Butland in the head late in the first half.
Auston Trusty denies he deserved red card vs Rangers
The former Sheffield United defender was following the ball into the Light Blues box but dangled a foot out late after the keeper had already gathered it, making unnecessary contact with Butland‘s head, but Nick Walsh only produced yellow and the VAR review confirmed the call.
Asked about the fallout from the incident ahead of Celtic’s meeting with Kilmarnock at the weekend Trusty played it down as an accidental “tap” and chalked it up to the Old Firm rivalry, suggesting whoever loses meetings between the two sides always has something to say about it.
He said: “I mean I think I was just trying to get the ball really. The ref called for a yellow, then VAR checked it and it was a yellow, then just get on with it. I haven’t really thought too much about it really.”
Asked if it had been blown out of proportion he said: “Probably, I think at the end of the day we were the better side, from the first half into the second half, so that’s really all that matters.”
To the question of whether he feared further punishment the American answered: “No, I tapped him. Obviously it wasn’t… I didn’t boot him in the head. You could see my demeanour and reation to tapping him on the head.
“No, I didn’t think it was anything, I just obviously apologised. No-one means to boot somebody in the head or kick somebody in the head, and I obviously tapped him on the head and that’s all it was. I didn’t really think anything much of it.
“Obviously I was apologetic and you see my hands to him like ‘I’m sorry’. No matter the rivalry or whatever it is that’s not the kind of human I am.”
He went on to say: “I think it’s just the Rangers vs Celtic [thing], no matter what whatever side has a positive result the other side’s gonna say whatever. It’s just how football works in this country and from this rivalry, and I don’t think you can really escape that.”
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It’s hardly any surprise that Trusty has taken the stance of there being nothing to see here with regards to the Hampden clash.
Obviously it’s unlikely he intended to cause Butland any actual harm but there was no chance he was going to get the ball when it had already been gathered, and his reaction, as much as being apologetic to the Rangers keeper, surely suggested he thought he was in trouble.
It wasn’t the worst incident ever seen in football but it would be absolutely no surprise at all for something similar to happen in an upcoming match somewhere and a red be produced.
It could have made all the difference during an improved second-half display if it was 10 against 10, but since Derek Cornelius could have arguably reduced the Gers to nine already it might be a losing argument.
Either way the Rangers players and Danny Rohl can’t get bogged down looking backwards when the season doesn’t stop moving and continues to look daunting.
The tame 2-0 defeat by Roma in the Europa League on Thursday laid bare the relative lack of quality in this side, so the German needs to work his magic on the training pitch or hope for some serious transfer help in January.
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