Shane O'Neill on TFC's leadership group: 'It just sort of happened'
In this 1-on-1 interview, O'Neill talks about life at Toronto FC under John Herdman, being named to the player leadership group and more.
Veteran centre back Shane O'Neill will have the weight of the world on his shoulders with Toronto FC this season.
Not only will he try help the Reds improve on the defensive end, but he's also been asked to step up in a big way after he was named to the club's player leadership group, alongside Italian DPs Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi, captain Jonathan Osorio and goalkeeper Sean Johnson.
O’Neill, 30, has played in 167 MLS regular season and playoff games since making his debut for the Colorado Rapids in 2012, so he’s an established league veteran who John Herdman will rely upon in a major way this coming season.
“[Shane] has great character… He’s a wonderful human being. He leads, he’s an example with how he conducts himself on and off the field. That’s an important piece for young players to have and to look up to as a mentor,” Herdman said.
In this one-on-one interview with TFC Republic, O'Neill talks about life at Toronto FC under Herdman, being named to the team's player leadership group and much more.
This Q&A has been lightly edited and trimmed for brevity and clarity.
