Former Colorado Rapids center back Shane O’Neill turned 22 on Wednesday, and he has plenty to be excited about in year 23.

The former Fairview High School star is with the U.S. Under-23 national team this week as it prepares for Olympic qualifying. Then O’Neill will get his shot in Europe after agreeing to a one-year loan with Royal Mouscron-Péruwelz of the Belgian first division.

“It’s going to be a great experience for me. I think I need something like this,” O’Neill said in a phone interview Wednesday. “Growing up in Colorado, the three years with the Rapids probably couldn’t have gone a whole lot better, and it was kind of just time for both parties to move on.”

O’Neill was a key member of the Rapids during his rookie season in 2013, starting 24 games in a span that included a 16-game undefeated streak. But he fell out of favor this season after missing time away with the U.S. senior national team during training camp, and with the U-23s during the regular season.

“It didn’t help — the whole situation going away with the U-23s,” O’Neill said. “(Rapids coach) Pablo (Mastroeni) just wanted to go in a different direction, and the staff in general. Once that was made evident, it was best for me to get the move.”

Sometime around May, O’Neill says he heard rumblings that Cypress-based Apollon Limassol was preparing to make a bid for him. By late June or early July, he says he was fairly certain the transfer would go through. The Rapids announced O’Neill’s sale to the Cypriot club in early August. Soon after, the opportunity arose to go on a one-year loan in Belgium and O’Neill jumped at the chance to play in a league he described as very technical, tactical and one of the best for young players.

“This is a really great stepping-stone league and if I can play well here I think it will open up a whole lot of doors,” O’Neill said.

U.S. U-23 coach Andy Herzog was in discussion with the former Rapids defender throughout his transfer and was very supportive of the move, O’Neill explained.

“(Royal Mouscron-Péruwelz) right now is struggling a little bit on conceding goals,” O’Neill said. “I’m really hoping to come in and help the team collect some points, get some wins and get off the bottom of the table.”

For now, O’Neill is focusing his attention on the task at hand: He’s set play his first competitive match Thursday since being sold by his hometown club when the U.S. U-23s take on England at 12:40 p.m. MDT in Preston, England.

The 22-year-old feels right at home rooming with former Rapids teammate Dillon Serna as the two try to help send the U.S. to the Olympics in Brazil. And he’s even trying to learn a little French as he prepares for the next chapter in Belgium.

“(Thursday’s) going to be a big day for us with the match and it’ll be really interesting to see how we do,” O’Neill said. “We’re all feeling really confident right now and I don’t think the competition has ever been higher in the 23s camp. There’s so many options at every position.”

Looking ahead, there is a chance O’Neill will return to Colorado very soon. The U.S. U-23s will take on Panama on Oct. 6 at 7:30 p.m. at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in an Olympic qualifying match.

“I don’t want to get ahead of myself,” O’Neill said. “But obviously that would be a really nice opportunity to kind of see my family again and everything like that.”

Daniel Boniface: 303-954-1104, dboniface@denverpost.com or twitter.com/danielboniface