I dreamed of nights like Celtic Champions League epic so a little ankle sprain wasn't going to spoil it

As he lay on the Celtic Park turf it must have been on his mind.

After going up for a header early against RB Leipzig Auston Trusty went over on his ankle on landing. It was throbbing. As he limped off the pitch, everyone inside Parkhead felt he’d have to be replaced. But the big American had other ideas. With the Champions League anthem still ringing in his ears, he thought back to when he was a boy. These were the games he’d dreamt about. Against Europe’s best, with the atmosphere electric - and on TV screens across the world.

This is why he’d grafted so hard to get there. This is what he lived for. So, despite the pain, Trusty wasn’t going to let a twisted ankle jeopardise it. And he certainly wasn’t going to hobble off the pitch before he’d done his job against Leipzig. Instead, the big defender battled through it to play a huge part in Celtic’s stunning Champions League triumph on Tuesday night. Their 3-1 victory over the Germans was a performance for the ages, with Brendan Rodgers’ side now in a terrific position to qualify for the knock-out phase. Picking Trusty ahead of Liam Scales at the heart of his defence was a big call from the manager.

But it paid off as the Hoops’ new £6 million man excelled alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers at the back. Even if he was left hobbling off by the end.

But as he reflected on a dream night for him and Celtic, Trusty says he was NEVER going to leave the party early.

He said: “I rolled my ankle pretty bad and it was hurting for the rest of the game. How did I get through it? Just the atmosphere. You play for these nights - you live for them. I was a little kid in my bedroom dreaming of playing on that field, in that environment. So I wasn’t going to let a little ankle sprain