Frank McAvennie Apologizes After Backlash Over Calling Auston Trusty's Bereavement Leave 'Woke'

Former Celtic player Frank McAvennie released an apology after triggering intense backlash for questioning Auston Trusty's time off on his podcast and branding modern grieving responses as 'woke'.

The controversy began after the former striker made critical remarks regarding the United States men's national team defender on his show.

Trusty had recently stepped away from team duties following the death of his father.

The central defender had missed several matches for the Scottish side while dealing with the family tragedy.

After returning briefly to training, Trusty was granted additional leave by manager Martin O'Neill to fly home to the United States.

That trip was arranged so the defender could attend a celebration of his late father's life.

However, McAvennie took issue with the player's absence during a broadcast of his podcast.

PODCAST REMARKS SPARK FURY

The conversation unfolded on the show Let's Be Frank, also referred to as Let Me Be Frank, which is published on YouTube.

McAvennie had initially been offering sharp criticism of Celtic's recent performance against Falkirk.

The discussion took an unexpected turn when co-host Simon Houston brought up the defensive setup and Trusty's current status.

Trusty was set to miss Celtic's Europa League fixture against Turkish club Besiktas.

McAvennie openly questioned the duration of the American player's compassionate leave.

During the exchange, the former forward questioned: "how much time do you want off?"

Houston immediately pushed back against his co-host's critique.

The presenter attempted to justify the player's leave and reminded McAvennie that everyone processes grief in their own way.

McAvennie refused to back down from his stance during the recording.

Instead, the former player dismissed the idea that people grieve differently by labeling it a "woke" concept.

He also made reference to what he viewed as the "woke generation" during the broadcast.

The episode was subsequently uploaded to YouTube, where supporters quickly seized upon the comments.

BACKLASH AND TWO STATEMENTS

The reaction across social media and the Celtic fan base was swift and largely condemnatory.

Supporters expressed outrage that a former player would publicly question an athlete mourning the loss of a parent.

The mounting public anger quickly forced McAvennie to address his broadcast comments in writing.

His initial response proved insufficient in calming the negative reaction.

In that first statement, McAvennie merely acknowledged that his remarks could have been perceived as offensive.

Fans and commentators immediately criticized the response, with several outlets viewing it as a non-apology.

As the backlash intensified over the following twenty-four hours, McAvennie released a second, more direct statement.

In this follow-up message, he recognized that his initial statement had not gone far enough to resolve the matter.

McAvennie held his hands up and officially expressed his apologies to Trusty for the comments.

MARTIN O'NEILL STEPS IN

The controversy reached Celtic's official media duties ahead of their continental fixture.

Manager Martin O'Neill was asked directly about McAvennie's podcast remarks during a pre-match press conference.

O'Neill offered an emphatic defense of his defender and delivered a stinging rebuke to the former striker.

The manager did not hide his anger at the nature of the commentary.

"That's really poor taste," O'Neill said when asked about the situation.

"That's really poor," the manager added during the media briefing.

O'Neill noted that while many people in the game make mistakes and backtrack, family matters require a clear line of respect.

"I know I've said some things and ended up backtracking," O'Neill explained.

"But that's a family bereavement," the manager emphasized.

"And that's making someone's mind up about how long they should be grieving and stuff like this here," he said.

"That's not on," the manager told reporters.

COMPASSIONATE LEAVE GRANTED

O'Neill took time during the press conference to explain the circumstances surrounding Trusty's absence.

He revealed that Trusty's father had been suffering from deteriorating health for an extended period.

"Trusty asked me for some time," O'Neill said.

"Even if it's a celebration, it doesn't matter," the Celtic manager continued.

"The father's been in poor health for quite some considerable time," O'Neill revealed.

"And I know there was a stage where he thought that he wasn't going to see it through," the manager said.

O'Neill then drew from his own life experiences to explain why he felt so strongly about protecting his player.

"But I'm with Trusty the whole way there," the manager said.

"Because I wouldn't want anybody to tell me that I had to grieve over a brother or sister dying," O'Neill stated.

"And I've had that," the veteran boss added.

O'Neill confirmed that he has granted Trusty all the compassionate leave he requires to navigate the loss.

"He's taken it badly," O'Neill said of the American defender.

"Honestly, I've afforded him all the time he wants," the manager confirmed.

"At some stage, obviously, he'll be coming back," O'Neill noted.

"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," he said.

"That's nothing to do with it," the manager insisted.

"This is a family thing," O'Neill stated firmly.