Celtic told to dump former Sheffield United player after red card dismissal sparks outrage

The flashpoint moment dominated discussion after Celtic’s damaging defeat to Hibernian at Parkhead on Sunday.

Celtic’s hopes of retaining the Scottish Premiership title suffered a significant setback as Hibernian claimed a 2-1 victory in Glasgow. The result leaves the Hoops six points adrift of leaders Hearts, increasing the pressure in their pursuit of a fifth straight league crown.

The game turned on 74 minutes when centre-back Auston Trusty was shown a red card following a clash with Jamie McGrath during a corner.

After a VAR review, the American defender was adjudged to have struck the Hibs midfielder’s arm with excessive force. The decision proved pivotal, with Hibernian netting a late winner through Kai Andrews in the 87th minute despite being down to ten men.

Celtic’s appeal to the Scottish Football Association was quickly dismissed, meaning Trusty will serve a three-match suspension — his second sending-off of the campaign.

Trusty joined Celtic in 2024 from Sheffield United in a £5 million move and has featured regularly since arriving. However, his position at the club has come under scrutiny, with talkSPORT presenter Alan Brazil launching a scathing assessment of the defender.

Speaking alongside Ally McCoist, Brazil said Trusty should be moved on, insisting the defender had lost his way after initially impressing. McCoist, though, argued that the player has shown he can perform at a high level, referencing a strong display in Italy and questioning whether the red card warranted dismissal.

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill acknowledged the incident, explaining that while Trusty may have been held, the action itself breached the rules. He maintained that the result was a setback rather than a decisive blow to their title ambitions, praising his players’ effort and insisting the race remains alive despite little margin for further error.

The suspension rules Trusty out of three key fixtures, including the upcoming Old Firm showdown against Rangers at Ibrox, as well as clashes with Aberdeen and Motherwell — matches that could prove decisive in the tightening title race.