15th August 2026; Tannadice Park, Dundee, Scotland; Scottish Cup Football, Dundee United versus Celtic;
Martin O’Neill has hit out at Frank McAvennie over his Auston Trusty comments.
The defender has missed Celtic’s last few matches following the death of his father.
Trusty will miss tonight’s Europa League match against Besiktas which was brought up on the Let Me Be Frank podcast.
McAvennie had been highly critical of Celtic in their performance against Falkirk when the conversation with Simon Houston went in an unexpected direction.
McAvennie wouldn’t let go of his criticism of Trusty, when Houston tried to justify the players absence his co-host hit back with a reference to the ‘woke generation’.
The episode was recorded then uploaded to You Tube.
Reaction to the comments on Trusty reigned in, so much so that McAvennie was forced into a statement explaining his comments.
The day before a Europa League match the issue was put to O’Neill with The Sun reporting the Celtic boss saying:
That’s really poor taste. That’s really poor.
I know I’ve said some things and ended up backtracking but that’s a family bereavement.
And that’s making someone’s mind up about how long they should be grieving and stuff like this here.
That’s not on. Trusty asked me for some time. Even if it’s a celebration, it doesn’t matter.
The father had been in poor health for quite some considerable time.
And I know there was a stage where he thought that he wasn’t going to see it through but I’m with Trusty the whole way there.
Because I wouldn’t want anybody to tell me that I had to grieve over a brother or sister dying. And I’ve had that. He’s 28 years of age and he’s taken it badly. I’ve afforded him all the time he wants.
At some stage, obviously, he’ll be going to come back. But at the end of the day, I’ve given that time because I know that we might be talking about different eras or whatever the case may be. That’s nothing to do with it.
This is a family thing. And that’s not right. So, Trusty has got the time and he’s got the backing of myself and he’s got the backing of the club.
McAvennie spent 18 months playing for Celtic in the late eighties, playing a key role in the side that won the double in season 87/88.
His departure back to West Ham didn’t go down well with the support leading to a strained relationship which lasts till this day.
While most players from that era have taken a step back from the limelight McAvennie is pushing a fresh career as a podcaster.
The need for attention, clicks and subscribers comes with the risk of overstepping the mark. In this case that line has been crossed.
Since leaving Celtic in 1989 McAvennie hasn’t had any type of role back at the club.
Trusty isn’t expected to be involved in Sunday’s match
Never forget either after he left celtic to go back to West Ham he through his agent offered his services to the Huns and I remember at the time the headline in the papers was that they said NO! I don’t have much time for McAvennie more faces than the town clock! How did his fishing expedition go did he get his money back that was confiscated from the authorities? Muppet