Media’s Auston Trusty joins Sheffield United of the Premier League

Media’s Auston Trusty joined England’s Sheffield United on Friday, leaving Arsenal after a year but finding a new home that is likely to get him playing time in the Premier League this season.

Trusty, a former Union centerback and product of the Union’s youth academy, joined Arsenal from the Colorado Rapids a year ago. It was a surprising move, helped by the two teams sharing the same owner — sports magnate Stan Kroenke, who also owns the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams, the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, and some other teams.

Less surprising was the fact that Trusty didn’t play a minute for Arsenal beyond a few exhibition games, some of which were in the United States. He went on loan to second-tier club Birmingham City and played so well there that he won the club’s player of the season award.

» READ MORE: Brenden Aaronson joins Union Berlin on loan from Leeds United

That got attention from other teams, including Sheffield United. The Blades’ interest came with great timing, as they earned promotion back to England’s top flight in the spring after two years in the second-tier Championship. Sheffield offered around $6.4 million (5 million British pounds, officially), which allowed Arsenal to turn a healthy profit on the $2 million it paid Colorado.

The Union got a $300,000 cut of Arsenal’s check thanks to the terms of the initial deal that sent Trusty to Colorado.

“I am more than excited,” Trusty told Sheffield United’s website. “The opportunity to be here at this historic club, and an opportunity to play in the Premier League and show my ability, it is everything I could have ever dreamed of growing up as a kid. In Pennsylvania, this was a dream — almost an impossible dream but I believed in myself and the opportunity has come around.”

» READ MORE: For Zack Steffen, coming home to Downingtown still means a lot to the USMNT goalkeeper

The 24-year-old also spoke openly about how quickly the deal came together, which you don’t always see in official announcements.

“I have just come back from a U.S. tour with Arsenal and a couple of days later I am sitting here doing this interview,” he said referring to a trip that included being the opponent in the MLS All-Star Game. “Things did happen very quick, but that’s how football works. I was really looking for an opportunity so as soon as it came about, things and details were ironed out.”

Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom said Trusty is “a good age to progress, he has experience having played at international level and in the Championship last year, where we monitored him, and he picked up Birmingham’s player of the year award. As a coaching team we feel that he has the athleticism and desire to succeed in the Premier League.”

» READ MORE: Gregg Berhalter’s return as USMNT manager is official

As for Arsenal’s perspective, sporting director Edu didn’t hide from it being little more than a return on investment.

“We are so proud to see how far Auston has come and the journey he has been on,” he said. “We see him now, a USA international having won Player of the Season with Birmingham City in a competitive league, which you have to remember was his first in English football. … Everyone involved in Auston’s progression to this point should have great satisfaction in the steps he has taken, moving on to this new challenge.”