Americans who have played in the Scottish Premiership
Auston Trusty is the latest US Men’s National Team (USMNT) player in the Scottish Premiership, signing a $7.8 million deal with Celtic. While it’s not a frequent path for Americans, it’s becoming more common, particularly for those moving within Europe. Trusty’s transfer marks him as the 14th American to play in Scotland’s top division.
Remarkably, he’s only the second American to join Celtic in their 135-year history and will form a rare all-American center-back pairing with Cameron Carter-Vickers.
Although Rangers FC has had the most soccer players from the United States with four players, Aberdeen is the only other club to field an American this season.
Full list of Americans who have played in the Scottish Premiership
It’s important to note that the Scottish Premiership was founded in 2013. Before that, it was known as the Scottish Premier League from 1998 to 2013. Hence the reason why American legends such as Claudio Reyna, who played for Rangers from 1999 to 2001, are not included in the list below.
Here is the full list of U.S. players who have played in the Scottish Premiership:
| Name | Club | Years active |
| Cameron Carter-Vickers | Celtic | 2021-present |
| Joseph Efford | Motherwell | 2022-present |
| Ian Harkes | Dundee United | 2020-2023 |
| Matthew Hoppe | Hibernian | 2023 |
| Emerson Hyndman | Rangers and Hibernian | 2017-2018 |
| Perry Kitchen | Hearts | 2016-2017 |
| Chris Mueller | Hibernian | 2022 |
| Matt Polster | Rangers | 2019-2020 |
| Dante Polvara | Aberdeen | 2022-present |
| Christian Ramirez | Aberdeen | 2021-2023 |
| James Sands | Rangers | 2022-2023 |
| Sebastian Soto | Livingston | 2021-2023 |
| Malik Tilman | Rangers | 2022-2023 |
| Auston Trusty | Celtic | 2024- |
Current American talent shaping the Scottish Premiership
It raised some eyebrows when Trusty moved from Colorado Rapids to Arsenal in 2022. He wasn’t a high-profile MLS defender, nor was he one of the most sought-after players. Nevertheless, despite never playing a competitive match for Arsenal, his loan spell at Birmingham City significantly changed perceptions.
Consequently, after being named their Player of the Season in 2022/23, he next secured a permanent move to Sheffield United in the Premier League. Following a surprise transfer to Celtic, Trusty has the chance to make his mark in Scotland.
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Cameron Carter-Vickers is Celtic’s first American player and has been pivotal since joining. He’s become a cornerstone of their defense, helping secure five domestic trophies and earning two PFA Scotland Team of the Year awards. Similarly to Trusty, Carter-Vickers had several loan spells before his Scottish success. As a result, Celtic hopes that his fellow American can follow a similar path and become a commanding presence at the back.
Dante Polvara is currently the only other American playing in Scotland’s top division. He joined Aberdeen in 2022 after a standout college career at Georgetown, where he won the 2021 MAC Hermann Trophy, the highest honor in NCAA Division 1 soccer.
Is Scotland a successful destination?
Over the past 18 months, a total of six American players left Scotland. This group includes the promising Malik Tillman, who was on loan at Rangers, Ian Harkes, who has since returned to the U.S. to join the New England Revolution, and the former prodigy Matthew Hoppe.
Tillman swiftly emerged as a standout player in Glasgow. In his first season as a regular starter, he impressively recorded 12 goals and 5 assists. But, as the saying goes, ‘Never fall in love with a loan player.’
Initially, Rangers had the opportunity to purchase him, but Bayern Munich opted to exercise an option to buy that out. He was then loaned to PSV. There, Tillman continued to thrive, culminating in a Dutch championship victory. Subsequently, PSV acquired him for about $13.8 million in the latest transfer window. Therefore, it is evident that his time in Scotland played a pivotal role in his development.
Ian Harkes moved in 2019 to join Dundee United, where he made a total of 165 appearances. At the time, Dundee United was competing in the Scottish Championship, the second tier of Scottish soccer.
He was important for Dundee’s promotion that same year and was recognized for his impressive midfield performances. He was also named Dundee United’s Player of the Season for the 2021/2022 campaign.
Harkes is another example of an American player who found success during an extended period in Scotland, proving that the move can be worthwhile. However, while he thrived personally at Dundee United, the move didn’t result in a transfer to a larger Scottish club or a European team, leaving the overall success of his time up for debate.
Could we see more Americans playing in Scotland?
For some, the risk of moving to Scotland doesn’t always pay off. As noted earlier, six American players have left the Scottish Premiership in the past year, including once-promising talent Matthew Hoppe.
The USMNT international joined Hibernian on loan in 2023 after struggling to make an impact at Middlesbrough in the Championship. Hoppe first broke out during the 2020/21 season, scoring six goals for Schalke. Yet, since then, he hasn’t been able to replicate that form during his stints in Spain and England.
His time at Hibernian also failed to impress. Hoppe managed just one goal in nine appearances, though the team did qualify for Europe that season. Despite these struggles, Hoppe is still only 23. While time remains on his side, it’s starting to slip away.
Meanwhile, Americans in the Scottish Premiership like Tillman and Carter-Vickers have found success there, proving that the gamble can work for some. The path to success is rarely straightforward, but the Scottish Premiership has been a place where USMNT players have thrived. If Auston Trusty follows in the footsteps of his fellow American center-back partner, we may soon see even more U.S. players in Scotland.
Photo: IMAGO / PA Images