Shane O’Neill departed MLS and the Colorado Rapids for Cyprus in early August, but his stay there didn’t last long.
That’s because the U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team player will now ply his trade in Belgium. O’Neill was transferred to Cyprus club Apollon Limassol in August, but yesterday, it was announced that he had joined Royal Mouscron-Peruwelz, a first-division Belgian side.
Mouscron-Peruwelz currently sit in last place with two points after six games played.
O’Neill, 21 years old, signed for two years and will likely be used as a defender, although he can also be used in a defensive midfield role.
He is currently in England with the U.S. U-23s, preparing for the team’s upcoming two friendlies, and he’ll join his new side after the camp. The U.S. U-23 team plays England Sept. 3 and Qatar Sept. 8.
What do you think about O’Neill’s latest move? Think he will play often? Does the Belgian league suit him?
Share your thoughts below.
No opinion on the transfer, except to note that “Royal Mouscron-Peruwelz” is simply awesome as a club name.
Or it’s because MLS teams will pay over market rate for American players. The same effect is why so few English players play on the Continent.
Is it just me, or is O’Neill the only American player to transfer during this window? It seems all the other transfers have been into MLS (Pirlo, Dos Santos, etc.) or Euros leaving MLS to head back to the Old World (Nemec, Maloney).
It does seem strange when you consider that our youth teams did well over the summer and you have a couple of young guys, Zardes and Morris, who performed well for the national team. Either there is an anti-American bias, or Europeans just don’t rate US players at all highly. The only exception I can think of is AJ moving from Alkmaar to the Bundesliga and maybe that’s because he’s thought of as Icelandic.
Don’t know anything about this club but they look like a minnow, albeit in a topflight Euro league. O’Neill needed a change of environment so it will be interesting to see how this plays out.
He wants to play in England so this should help towards that goal. Got to think there are more EPL/championship guys scouting in Belgium than MLS.
Glad to see he escaped the the cess pool at Colorado that has stagnated some of our best young American talent: Hairston, Serna, Powers, etc. At one point, the Rapids looked like the US u-23 team. And all this stagnation because of a former USMNT great in charge as coach??
Ah, the irony.
Who is Doniel Henry?
Maybe this will help: http://www.sbisoccer.com/2015/01/former-defender-henry.html
Thanks!
Doniel Henry
I have yet to see an explanation as to why O’Neill had to be funneled through Apollon Limassol before he landed at the real club that wanted to sign him. He’s has an Irish/EU passport, he doesn’t have the same labor issues as Doniel Henry.
A dishonest agent looking to get paid on two transfer fees, rather than just one, convinced him this shady business is the best way to get the Europe?
Probably an MLS rule. Don’t ask.
Aggree it seems unnecessary for O’Neill, although this is not the Belgian side that was rumored so maybe that has something to do with it.