Auston Trusty believes Jack Butland incident has been blown out of proportion

Celtic defender Auston Trusty claims his “tap” on the head of Jack Butland has been blown out of proportion.

Trusty escaped with a yellow card when he caught the grounded Rangers goalkeeper on the head with his boot during his side’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final win on Sunday.

Rangers issued a club statement over refereeing decisions on the game, and Butland revealed on Friday morning that he found that decision “difficult to accept” and argued a dangerous precedent had been set.

However, Trusty later played down the clash, initially asking for clarification on what incident he was being asked about during a pre-match media conference ahead of Sunday’s William Hill Premiership clash with Kilmarnock.

The American defender said: “I was just trying to get the ball really. The ref called for a yellow and then VAR checked it, and it was a yellow and then just get on with it. I haven’t really thought too much about it.”

Asked if the incident had been blown out of proportion, the former Sheffield United defender said: “Probably. I think at the end of the day, we were the better side from the first half into the second half, so that’s really all that matters.”

The centre-back, when asked if he had feared the yellow could have been worse, said: “No. I tapped him and obviously I didn’t boot him in the head. I didn’t actually mean it. You could see my demeanour and my reaction to tapping him on the head.

“No, I didn’t think it was anything. I obviously apologised. No-one means to boot somebody in the head or kick somebody in the head.

“I tapped him in the head and that’s all it was. I didn’t really think anything much of it. Obviously, I was apologetic and you see my hands to him and saying I’m sorry.

“No matter rivalry or whatever it is, that’s not the kind of human I am.”

Surrounding the reaction to the incident, the 27-year-old added: “I think it’s just the Rangers versus Celtic…. I think no matter what, whatever side has a positive result, the other side is going to say whatever.

“It’s just how football works in this country and from this rivalry. I don’t think you can really escape that.”