ORLANDO, Fla. – This offseason, at the Philadelphia Union’s training facility, young Homegrown center back Auston Trusty found a new addition to the squad sitting in the locker next to his.

And if the 18-year-old’s career turns out anything like former veteran U.S. Men’s National Team member Oguchi Onyewu’s, that’s definitely something both Union and U.S. soccer fans will appreciate.

“That’s kinda beneficial,” Trusty said recently. “I’m really hoping to learn from him, because I know he has a lot of experience. I guess them adding him as experience to the team and for young guys like me, I can look towards him and ask for any help.”

If his willingness to learn and go the extra mile are any indicator, chances are Trusty will remain on the right path this year. An Academy signing for Bethlehem Steel FC early in 2016, his dedication to refining his game at the USL level, and then later in the season with the Union in MLS, has Steel FC Head Coach Brendan Burke feeling confident of Trusty’s future success.

“Those transitions have not always been smooth,” said Burke. “I think Auston would be the first to tell you that, but he displays an utter determination to succeed and growth mindset. He is constantly identifying areas that he can improve and keeping our assistant coaches on the field long after training to address the things that we identify.”