Freshly arrived from Belgium, Quebec striker Jules-Anthony Vilsaint said Tuesday that he is gradually adapting to his new environment and that he intends to make his niche with CF Montreal this season.
Vilsaint, who was acquired on a transfer from Belgian first division club Royal Antwerp FC last weekend, believes he knows what will allow him to perform well and get minutes in attack, a position where he there is congestion with the first team.
“The adaptation is going very well. The group welcomed me. I’m a versatile player, so wherever the coach needs me, I’ll be fine. I know there is a lot of competition ahead of me, but with my qualities I know that I could greatly help the team, ”said the 20-year-old player by videoconference.
His internship in Europe could also allow him to earn points with the new head coach of CF Montreal, Hernan Losada.
“I learned a lot in Belgium; it was more of a physical style of play – which I felt I missed the most. And I think it’s this physical aspect that will help me in MLS, because I already have the football aspect, ”recounted Vilsaint, visibly confident.
Losada, however, refused to say whether he will have a place for Vilsaint in his starting XI, although he admits opportunities will arise along the way.
“We had to decide before the season whether we were going to play with one or two forwards, or more attacking midfielders. It depends on the balance in the team, it depends on the players who will be available for the start of the season, and the level of the players. Maybe a player won’t be in the starting XI from the start, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be important to the team. We will see, we will have to find the best solution, the best combination, ”said Losada.
An opportunity could come sooner than expected, however, as Losada reported that midfielder Matko Miljevic recently suffered an injury.
“Matko felt something after making a left (foot) strike in the last game. We immediately decided to make a change. The medical staff must now determine the diagnosis. I have no information about him. He will undergo a magnetic resonance imaging test, and then we will see the results,” Losada explained.
The Argentine also looked irritated that he was once again told about striker Kei Kamara, who is in conflict with the team.
“I don’t have any updates about Kei. It’s my fifth or sixth press conference with the team, and I know he’s an important player, but I think they exaggerate by asking me a question about him every time. answered curtly to a journalist.
As for Vilsaint, who accepted a contract for two seasons in 2023 and 2024, accompanied by two years of option in 2025 and 2026, he is not too worried about it for the moment.
“The plan is to stay here, in Montreal, so that I can develop as a player. We have not discussed a loan to the Canadian Premier League (CPL),” he simply said.
A native of Montreal, Vilsaint has dual Canadian and Haitian citizenship. He notably wore the colors of Panellinios Montreal FC, before heading to Europe in 2020, where he joined the Young Reds, reserve team of Royal Antwerp FC, in March 2021.
This season with the Young Reds, he has scored one goal in 10 games, including four starts, and 384 minutes played.
On the international scene, Vilsaint is part of the Canadian program, playing with the national under-20 team. On April 5, he was invited to the U20 camp in Costa Rica, but did not participate.
He was also chosen on the provisional squad for the 2022 Concacaf Men’s U20 Championship.