Starts: 24
Minutes: 2,112
Age: 27
Key Stat: 5,044 minutes played between New York City, Standard de Liége, and the Socceroos
After signing at the transfer deadline back in April 2025, Aiden O’Neill slotted right into the New York City FC lineup. The former Standard de Liége captain’s choice to move to the Big Apple has been a success, and the Australian has been rock-solid in the heart of the NYCFC midfield ever since.
The Australian international is no stranger to fierce competition, with time spent in various levels of English football — including the Premier League with Burnley FC. O’Neill also spent multiple years in his native country playing in the A League, even winning the A-League Grand Final with Melbourne City FC.
For a player of such experience, the expectations were high that O’Neill could become a steady member of Pascal Jensen’s midfield and help fill the void left by James Sands, who departed on loan to St. Pauli FC before the start of the 2025 season.
Despite signing in late April, and not suiting up for the team until Matchday 12, O’Neill became such a regular feature that his 2,112 minutes across all competitions were the 10th-most minutes in the squad.
Midfield partnership
The most vital attribute O’Neill brought to the side was his steady defensive capabilities in the deep-lying midfield role. The 27-year-old excelled in Head Coach Pascal Jansen’s system, ending the season with 54 tackles and winning 55.4% of duels, which put him in the 80th percentile amongst MLS midfielders.
O’Neill’s addition to the midfield also allowed Justin Haak to fully move into the center back position, where he formed a solid partnership with captain Thiago Martins. Their defensive solidity was crucial to NYCFC’s late-season surge up the Eastern Conference table.
With such a reliable midfielder present to shield the backline, O’Neill’s teammates were given more freedom to get up the pitch and contribute in the final third. Andrés Perea started his time at NYCFC serving a more defensive capacity, but this season, he moved into more of a box-to-box role. Perea had five goal involvements this season, and four of those came when lined up with Aiden O’Neill.
The addition of O’Neill also helped the development of young Jonny Shore, who made his MLS debut at 17 on opening day and played in 10 of the team’s first 11 games. Shore is talented enough to handle the league, but such a young player should be allowed to grow into the position, not forced to start every day. O’Neill’s immediate integration into the lineup let Jansen implement a smarter plan for Shore.
5,044 minutes for club(s) and country
Keep in mind, O’Neill played an absurd amount of football this season. Before joining New York City, O’Neill captained Standard de Liége through more than half of their season, appearing in all 25 league matches while logging 2,167 minutes.
On top of that, O’Neill is a mainstay in the midfield of the Australian national team, making 10 appearances for the Socceroos in 2025 alone, adding another 765 minutes between competitive matches and friendlies.
As NYCFC’s season wrapped up, O’Neill’s match count rose 62 since he last had a proper offseason in 2024. A workhorse for every one of his teams, O’Neill played 5,044 minutes across all competitions.
Good in transition
But maybe O’Neill’s greatest contributions are found in his ability to retain possession and connect the defense to the attack. He finished in the 80th percentile of MLS midfielders in successful passes (1,009), and in the 79th percentile of pass completions (87.9%) — that’s joint-best on the team, equal to Justin Haak.
In New York City’s Eastern Conference Quarterfinal matchup with Philadelphia Union, O’Neill was the most accurate passer on the pitch with 45 minutes or more, with a pass accuracy of 96% — it was a vital piece of the puzzle en route to the biggest upset of the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs.
New York City fans should be happy with O’Neill’s season for the club. Looking forward to 2026, we have even higher expectations for what a well-rested and fully-acclimated O’Neill will bring to NYCFC.
