The Hoops defender is going all in for the final two games of the season and he lifted the lid on the mood from the manager
06:00, 12 May 2026Updated 08:27, 12 May 2026
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Martin O’Neill has a treasure trove of experience he could dig into for inspiration in this incredible Premiership title push.
But Auston Trusty has revealed the legendary Hoops boss is not a man for wandering down Memory Lane when he can charge up the Celtic Way instead. O’Neill has a heroic backstory at Parkhead, from delivering titles, Trebles and unforgettable European nights.
Hoops fans are loving having their hero back in town but the man himself is not one to hark back to the good old days when it comes to motivating the current group. O’Neil’s sole focus is on the here and now – and delivering modern-day success.
There’s every chance now too.
Celtic have the Scottish Cup Final on the back burner but the Premiership title is now within striking range after a monumental weekend in the race. Hearts being held to a draw at Fir Park followed by Sunday’s stunning Old Firm win has set up a barnstorming end to a wild campaign.
Celtic know victories against Motherwell on Wednesday night and against the Jambos on the final day will secure the title. Derek McInnes’ men will have other ideas, of course, and they believe they have their own date with destiny after leading from the front all season.
But there is a growing sense of fate around Parkhead. Trusty can feel it as well and while he is well aware of the O’Neill fables from another time, he insisted the manager is hellbent on penning a new chapter.
The USA star said: “He’s the same every game. Every game is a Champions League game to him. Does he speak about the past? Not really. He’s about being in the present, the past is in the past and you can’t think about the future. You have to be in the present.
“He just tells us what we need to do to win the game and we get ourselves ready to go. He’s just fantastic. What can you not say about him? As a player he had a fantastic career and then as a manager, as a coach, he’s had a fantastic career as well.
“He’s just that character for us as a team. His first stint when he came here, and then when he came back second time, he just kept us going.”
Daizen Maeda was Celtic’s hero against Rangers(Image: SNS Group)
O’Neill steadied the ship after the dramatic departure of Brendan Rodgers and then picked up the pieces following Wilfried Nancy’s 33-day Twilight Zone experience.
Now the Northern Irishman is driving the push for the title. There was another masterclass at the weekend when he tweaked his side at half-time against Rangers – and then left the Light Blues in a pile of rubble.
Trusty provided a peek behind the curtain and said” “He’s calm but also a little bit aggressive. He really wants to hound his message. But he has a lot of experience and knows exactly what to say. And we reacted well to it.”
O’Neill is leading from the front in the dugout but it’s Daizen Maeda providing the heroics on it. The frontman produced one of the all-time great Old Firm goals with his outrageous overhead kick to make it 3-1. The attacker has bagged six goals in his last four games to catch fire at the business end after smouldering for long spells this season.
Trusty admitted his jaw hit the floor when he saw the ball sail into Jack Butland’s net – but nothing surprising the defender when it comes to the Samurai sensation.
Trusty said: “I didn’t know he was going to do that! But, I think it’s goal of the year – obviously Yang’s already won it – Daizen’s is right up there. He’s fantastic, he’s one of the best players I’ve ever played with.
“I think having a guy like that in your side, defensively and offensively, you definitely want him in your side, for sure.”
Maeda’s relentless attitude gets fans off there feet – but teammates also feed of his energy.
Trusty said: “Absolutely. When you see someone working their butt off, defensively and offensively, getting into every spot and tracking back, as a number nine making defensive plays in his own box, it only helps the team.”
Maeda will be leading the line at Fir Park on Wednesday night again – and there’s no margin of error for Celtic.
The Hoops were given a chasing by Jens Bethel Askou’s men in North Lanarkshire over the festive period and it was a tough clash in Glasgow before Celts eventually prevailed.
It’s been a bumpy campaign at times but Trusty is convinced the hard knocks have only made the Hoops more resilient.
He said: “Again, there are highs and lows in the entire season. But, I think through the lows we’ve stuck together and got even stronger. We don’t want lows, but with it we can take the positives and get even stronger.
“We’re just continuing our momentum that we’ve built.”
Trusty is hoping the forward momentum can carry Celts over the line – and take him all the way to this summer’s World Cup on home soil.
He said: “I think you would be lying if you said you don’t think about things. But the games here are so important, individually and collectively, we have fought through the ups and downs of the season to get to this point, potentially lifting two trophies.
“And then hopefully having the World Cup in the background. You just want to focus on game by game, day by day. That’s the only thing that matters. Performing here is what gets me to the World Cup. That’s the only thing that matters.”