Auston Trusty goes from FIFA gamer to Celtic reality at Allianz amid 'magical' Bayern moment

The closest Auston Trusty got to the Allianz Arena as a kid was playing at the legendary space age stadium on computer games.

But the American defender is now convinced it’s Celtic who are ready to go to the next level on the back of their amazingly brave display against Bayern Munich. The Hoops may have bowed out of the Champions League in Bavaria the other night but they certainly went out swinging. And the performances in Bayern’s incredible arena has only fuelled the belief at Parkhead they can mix it with the big boys.

It will take some time for the late pain to subside. But the time will come to reflect on a successful campaign, where Brendan Rodgers’ side competed with the best and hinted there could be even more thrill rides to come. The dream was on when Nicolas Kuhn struck against his old club on Tuesday night. But hearts were left shattered when Alphonso Davies smuggled in an equaliser just 15 seconds from the end when extra time was looming.

It was a brutal finale but Trusty soaked in the special occasion in Germany. And it’s given him belief there are even better times ahead for this Celtic group.

He said: “When I was back in the States playing. I was playing there on FIFA, you know. So, to have it in real life and to see the person playing the pitch and have the environment and stuff like that cheering us on and creating the atmosphere here, you know, it’s pretty magical.

“I mean, it is what dreams are made of. I would have liked another goal. I would have liked a couple more goals. We had some good chances. I think we had the best chances in the game. It was pretty amazing.

“Yeah, it was a unique performance. I think this is just the beginning of it. The mindset of this team, again, when people count us