After growing up in Arsenal's ranks, Monlouis looks to make mark with Toronto FC

English-born centre back Zane Monlouis poses with his Toronto FC jersey at the MLS team's training centre in Toronto on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Neil Davidson

TORONTO — After making more than 100 combined appearances for Arsenal’s U-18, U-21 and U-23 teams and with his contract running out at the end of the season, Zane Monlouis started looking to the future.

“Where I’m at in my career, I was definitely looking for a move,” said the London-born centre back. “Looking to just push on in my career really, get some more experience and hopefully push on to do bigger and better things.”

Then Toronto FC came calling.

The 21-year-old Monlouis joined Toronto in camp in Florida some two weeks ago on trial. It didn’t take the team long to make a decision, announcing his signing last Saturday prior to the season opener at D.C. United.

Hours later Monlouis — whose contract is a two-year deal with club options for 2027 and 2028 — made his debut with a cameo coming off the bench in stoppage time in the 2-2 draw.

Having joined the Arsenal academy in May 2012, Monlouis' roots in the London club run deep. Joining Toronto came with a lot of goodbyes.

“That aspect of it definitely wasn’t easy, because I’m leaving some of my close friends, teammates, family behind,” he said. “But I felt like I needed to change my stimulus. I was definitely up for the new challenge and ready to hit the ground when I heard the call (from Toronto).”

Monlouis, who spent half of the 2023-24 season on loan to Reading in England’s third-tier League One, made Arsenal’s first-team matchday roster for Champions League matches against FC Shakhtar Donetsk in October and AS Monaco in December. But with a lineup brimming with international stars, cracking the Gunners' first team is a daunting task.

“They’re challenging for titles,” said Monlouis. “And me, being at the stage of my career, I’d obviously have to bide my time and just wait my turn. There’s a lot of competition, a lot of good competition. They’ve got some of the best players in the world at Arsenal.”

Monlouis chooses to see the glass as more than half-full, however.

“They were very good to me. In all aspects. They really pushed me. I got opportunities to train with the men quite often. All the coaching staff, from top to bottom, from the younger ages all the way to the first team, they were all very good to me — all friendly, all welcoming. I definitely enjoyed my time at Arsenal, for sure.”

He describes himself as a defender, calm in possession, who likes to “get things started from the back.”

“I’d like to say I’m a leader. I like to communicate … just make sure people are in the right places to prevent things happening. But first and foremost I’d say I’m a good defender — athletic, strong, can put out fires when they need to be put out.”

Having conceded 61 goals last season, Toronto could use another fire extinguisher or two.

Monlouis is already enjoying working under Toronto coach Robin Fraser, a two-time winner of the MLS Defender of the Year Award.

“Me and him can relate in a lot of aspects, even off the pitch,” he said. “On the pitch, he’s such a good guy. He’s been very good to me since I’ve been here, which I’m grateful for.”

They also share roots.

Fraser was born in Jamaica and grew up in Miami.

Monlouis' mother is from Jamaica and his father from St. Lucia. That has allowed him to represent England at the under-15 and under-17 levels and be called into camp by the Jamaican under-23 side last March.

He has relatives in Canada, visiting some of them in Toronto last year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 27, 2025.