With the away side leading 2-1 going into the closing stages, Trusty was adjudged to have taken down Hearts’ Pierre Landry Kabore, which prompted referee Steven McLean to show the USA defender a yellow card.
We can confirm that Celtic Football Club will be submitting an appeal to the SFA in relation to the red card imposed on Auston Trusty, following the intervention of VAR during Sunday’s match at Tynecastle. pic.twitter.com/XwwMZGO1fH
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) January 26, 2026
However, following an on-field review, the incident was deemed a DOGSO (Denial Of A Goalscoring Opportunity), after John Beaton instructed McLean to the monitor, which resulted in Trusty’s yellow card being upgraded to a red.
On Monday, the football club posted an update on their social media accounts, signalling their discontent over the decision. In full, they posted, “We can confirm that Celtic Football Club will be submitting an appeal to the SFA in relation to the red card imposed on Auston Trusty, following the intervention of VAR during Sunday’s match at Tynecastle.
Following the game, Celtic interim manager Martin O’Neill made his feelings clear over the incident. “Yeah, I do have an argument with the red card. The referee has given a yellow card and is sent over to VAR to re-referee the game,” he said.
“My take on it is that, first of all, the ball is going away from the goal, so the player has to get a hold of that and control it. And secondly, and more importantly, is that we’ve got someone on the cover. So that’s what the referee saw in the first place. He was pretty close to it, and it’s not.
“So it puts you under severe pressure in the last 20-odd minutes.”