Gareth Bale quit football at age of 33 AL-RAYYAN, QATAR - ARCHIVE: A file photo dated November 21, 2022 shows Gareth Bale 11 of Wales reacts during FIFA World Cup, WM, Weltmeisterschaft, Fussball Qatar 2022 Group B match between USA and Wales at Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Al-Rayyan, Qatar on November 21, 2022. Gareth Bale, who plays in Los Angeles, one of the American First Division MLS, Fussball Herren, USA teams, ended his active football life at the age of 33. Ar Rayyan Qatar. Editorial use only. Please get in touch for any other usage. PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxTURxUSAxCANxUKxJPNxITAxFRAxAUSxESPxBELxKORxRSAxHKGxNZL Copyright: x2025xAnadoluxMustafaxYalcÄnx
Celtic defender Auston Trusty has moved to ease injury concerns after being stretchered off during the United States’ defeat to Turkey at the World Cup.
The 27-year-old centre back was taken off late in the match after rolling his ankle, sparking worry among Celtic supporters ahead of their upcoming fixtures.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side went down 3-2 in the Group D dead rubber, though the Americans had already secured top spot in the group before kickoff.
Trusty started the match at left back and made an immediate impact, opening the scoring for the United States after just ten minutes.
Turkey levelled through Arda Guler before a frantic exchange of goals saw Baris Yilmaz and Seb Berhalter both find the net.
Kaan Ayhan then struck a 98th-minute winner to hand Turkey a victory that offered some consolation after what has been a difficult tournament for them.
The late ankle injury to Trusty was enough to send alarm bells ringing at Parkhead, with the defender forced from the field on a stretcher in visible discomfort.
Celtic fans had particular reason for concern given the club faces a Champions League playoff showdown alongside the start of the Scottish Premiership season.
However, Trusty spoke to FOX Sports after the final whistle and insisted he expects to be available for the round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina next Thursday.
“I don’t know. I can’t really react to it,” he said, reflecting on the injury in the immediate aftermath of the final whistle.
“Honestly, I am in my head right now, I rolled my ankle a pretty bad,” he continued, acknowledging the scare he had given everyone watching.
“I felt like we had a lot of opportunities during the game. I think they had like three shots and three goals. So it was just an unfortunate loss, but gotta keep going.”
Trusty remained upbeat when pressed directly on his physical condition, choosing to look ahead rather than dwell on the setback.
“How am I feeling? I’ll be all right. Honestly, I don’t know. I heard a little something, but I’ll be fine. No worries.”
The defender was equally focused on the bigger picture, urging his teammates to treat the defeat as a learning experience before the knockout rounds begin.
“Obviously, we won the group. That’s a positive. I think this is just one of those losses that we put this behind us, learn from it.”
Trusty signed off with a clear message about what must improve defensively as the United States prepare for the business end of the tournament.
“Obviously, we had a lot of chances. Again, we gotta keep the ball out of the net, you know, simple as that. But just react from it and move on.”
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