Auston Trusty grasps the qualities needed at Sheffield United ahead of ‘exciting’ Arsenal return

Despite growing up around 3,500 miles away from the Steel City in Media, Pennsylvania, Auston Trusty has shown a very good grasp of what makes Sheffield United tick in his short time at Bramall Lane. The 25-year-old defender has made all the right noises off the pitch since he signed in the summer and has looked a class act on it as well, ahead of an emotional return to Arsenal this afternoon.

Trusty was an Arsenal player in name only during his time at the Emirates, sent out on loan - first back to his homeland with Colorado Rapids and then to Birmingham City in the Championship - before a £5m move to the Blades in the summer. Based on his two Premier League starts so far, a full league debut at Fulham and another composed showing against Manchester United, it looks good value.

Trusty can be forgiven if he wasn’t aware of his status as the most expensive defender in United’s long and illustrious history - surpassing the £4m paid to Brentford for John Egan - but otherwise he has shown, both in word and deed, that he fully understands what makes this football club tick. Requirements that seem to sit hand-in-hand with his own.

“At the very least, if a team’s in a position as we are right now, you want to see grit, you want to see determination, you want to see a fight,” the defender said before the trip down south. “So when we play Manchester United, that’s what you see and that’s what you feel on the field and in the energy around the whole organization. As long as we have that, we have a chance.

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“But as soon as that goes, you’re never going to have a chance anymore. When you see the characteristics of the team, it goes a long way and that’s what’s going to get us out of this position. We were sad not to come away with at least a point [from Man U] but from a fans’ perspective, and looking at the grand total of things, you saw a spark and you saw some something we haven’t seen before.

“It’s something we can build on and we can keep going. Overall we’re upset with not coming away with the point but we are pleased that things are starting to move. We have momentum now, we have just got to keep building on it.”

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Trusty went on Arsenal’s pre-season tour in the summer before his move to Bramall Lane was confirmed, with the words of Mikel Arteta ringing in his ears as he left the Emirates to move north. “When I left he wished me the best, told me I was a good player and could achieve pretty much what I wanted to,” he remembered.

“I’m excited to go back but it’s really cool that I’m going there and playing them, and I’m going there to do my thing. So I’m looking forward to it but I’m looking forward to us getting a result, that’s what my mindset is. Then after the game you say hi to everybody. But I’m there for this team and to get a result.”