Shane O'Neill(Colorado Rapids)

**Stuttgart88** · 13/02/2015, 2:45 PM

Originally Posted by TrapAPony

Baffling that the FAI cannot seem to convince a lad with two Irish parents, whose father Colm played for Cork and his uncle was one of Kerry's greatest players, to play for Ireland. Maybe O'Neill is thinking, that the USA have showed interest in him all along & it's only now the FAI are interested when he got better. Hopefully if Kevin Doyle gets a move to Colorado that he can have a word.

It's up to O'Neill to decide whether he's good enough for the FAI to pursue, no? The FAI can't go getting players to turn down call ups for their "other" country if they have no realistic chance of playing for Ireland.

**DeLorean** · 13/02/2015, 3:03 PM

Originally Posted by Olé Olé

Of course he doesn't know what way the US thing is going to work out but the fact they've enough faith to have them in his squad at the moment should infer something to a young, confident, professional athlete. And of course he'll feel more American around his friends- his friends are probably all American. Then again, his family are all Irish.

Did he refuse a call-up or did he refuse to train with us? That's not very clear.

A call-up to train is what I meant

I just haven't read any comments that would give me hope that he'd choose Ireland, all things being equal. His friends probably are all American, that's what I'm saying too, which makes it very different to a Kevin Kilbane type situation when he grew up where everything around him was Irish, despite leaving in the UK.

**tetsujin1979** · 25/05/2015, 4:57 PM

Named in the US squad for the Toulon Tournament: http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2015...roster-release

**Charlie Darwin** · 25/05/2015, 5:39 PM

We'd have given him a full cap godsmarmit.

**IsMiseSean** · 25/05/2015, 8:26 PM

Would a cap for the USA olympic team tie him to them?

**DannyInvincible** · 25/05/2015, 9:02 PM

Originally Posted by IsMiseSean

Would a cap for the USA olympic team tie him to them?

Only a competitive senior 'A' cap would tie him.

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 26/07/2015, 5:18 PM

The FAI haven’t called...the USA gave me my chance

http://www.thesun.ie/irishsol/homepa...my-chance.html

**Olé Olé** · 26/07/2015, 5:34 PM

Every time he's questioned on this matter, it's like a thinly-veiled come-get-me plea.

“So, without getting a call from the FAI, it’s not something that has to be considered." That's a pretty interesting statement for someone currently preparing to participate in the Olympics with another country.

The article states that he hasn't had the best of seasons in terms of appearances and I don't think we're in a position to call in a centre-half at that age who isn't playing regularly at present. That's probably one of the main issues at present.

**Olé Olé** · 04/08/2015, 8:52 PM

Very hard to get confirmation of this but it's being reported that O'Neill is signing for Apollon Limassol in Cyprus: https://worldsoccertalk.com/2015/08/...he-mls-season/

This is causing some confusion (http://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments...massol_cyprus/) as the last player to move from the MLS to Apollon Limassol was Doneil Henry who subsequently moved to West Ham. I'm not quite sure of the in's and out's of it but that Reddit thread suggests that Henry signing for Apollon was work permit-related. As O'Neill was born in Ireland, this doesn't represent an issue for him so maybe it's completely footballing reasons?

We've seen that management don't deem Cillian Sheridan's travails in Cyprus as sufficient to warrant selection so I'm not sure how time spent there would cause an FAI approach to O'Neill. If there's some loophole causing him to move to Apollon but onward to an English side at PL or Championship level then O'Neill is likely to enter the discussion at Ireland senior level, hopefully. At present, the situation regarding O'Neill appears to be that he's too old for our under 21 side and not good enough for the senior squad. He falls in perfectly to under 23 level, at which we do not participate. I believe if O'Neill reaches the requisite standard for our senior squad we'll see him move across to us.

**DannyInvincible** · 28/08/2015, 9:46 PM

O'Neill has been called up to the US under-23 squad for the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying championship. At least I think that's what this means...: https://twitter.com/ussoccer/status/637316393067675648

His Twitter profile photo has him draped in the stars and stripes, so he seems pretty happy where he is.

**Crosby87** · 28/08/2015, 11:43 PM

The nation waits with baited breath as to the outcome of the U23 team's latest misadventures.

**tricky_colour** · 29/08/2015, 1:08 AM

He doesn't look very happy in that photo, looks like two members of ISIS draped in the USA flag.

**Crosby87** · 29/08/2015, 4:11 PM

How come the Rapids have such a pipeline to the fertile womb of Irish Footballers? Caleb Folan was in the mile high city. Kevin Doyle is probably gasping for air as we speak. O'Neill is already on his way to the MLS hall of fame. And there have been many more. Is a Rapid Irish and Opposition Irish thread just around the corner?

**Stuttgart88** · 30/08/2015, 9:14 AM

Padraig Smyth, formerly of FAI and UEFA is Commercial Director or something similar at the Rapids these days.

**Olé Olé** · 30/08/2015, 1:29 PM

Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

O'Neill has been called up to the US under-23 squad for the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying championship. At least I think that's what this means...: https://twitter.com/ussoccer/status/637316393067675648

His Twitter profile photo has him draped in the stars and stripes, so he seems pretty happy where he is.

Now, now, Danny. Whether he is 'happy' to play with them instead of Ireland is a different question. The joys of being a dual national!

**Olé Olé** · 30/08/2015, 1:31 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Padraig Smyth, formerly of FAI and UEFA is Commercial Director or something similar at the Rapids these days.

And they've signed Doyle and St. Ledger subsequent to his arrival. I wonder what was his level of influence on these signings.

**Crosby87** · 30/08/2015, 3:28 PM

He gets everyone drunk at Rock Bottom and when they awake in the morning, they have another crap player. But a devoted following of over 6 people streaming their matches as far away as Cork pays the bills.