Media 14 January 2026, 16:24

Wout Faes: "I'm ready to play and help the team"

Having arrived in the Principality this Tuesday to join AS Monaco on loan until the end of the season, the Belgian international defender was presented to the press alongside the club's CEO, Thiago Scuro.

He has arrived to reinforce the defense. Having arrived the previous day at the foot of the rock on loan through the end of the season with the Rouge et Blanc, Wout Faes took part in his first collective training session this Wednesday at the Performance Center. Following his initial training session with the team, the Belgian defender was presented to the media in the presence of AS Monaco’s General Manager, Thiago Scuro.🎙️

On his fitness level:

Even though I haven’t played any matches recently, I’m ready. I’ve been training individually because I knew a challenge would come my way in January. Then AS Monaco came along, and I told myself I was going to work even harder, because having the opportunity to come here and help the team is incredible for me. My agent has been in contact with the club for the past two or three transfer windows, but it never materialized until now, certainly because of Leicester’s position. But now an opportunity has presented itself, and I’m happy to be here.

He will first and foremost bring quality, but also experience and maturity, and he's ready to make an immediate impact, which made our decision easier. As he said, we have been following him for several seasons, particularly since he was playing a style of football similar to the one we played under his previous coach (Enzo Maresca). This reinforced our belief that he had the right profile to adapt to our way of playing, with speed, aggression, and quality on the ball, not to mention his set-piece abilities, which are so important in modern football. The decision was therefore easy when the opportunity arose. So we are very happy with Wout's arrival.

Thiago ScuroOn Wout Faes

On the start to the season at Leicester

This summer, there was a mutual desire for me to leave, but despite some contact with other clubs, it didn’t happen. The coach then reintegrated me into the squad, but for various reasons, it didn’t work out. Then, as you know, things can change quickly in football, and I’m a good example of that. Now I’m happy to be here, and I’ve been putting in extra work to be ready as soon as I arrived.

Son passage en Premier League

Quand tu signes quelque part, tu ne peux pas prévoir le futur. J’aurais aimé rester 3-4 ans en Premier League avec Leicester, qui était un club assez stable à l’époque où j’ai signé. La première année, on a eu une descente inattendue, mais grâce à ça j’ai pu rencontrer un coach comme Enzo Maresca, avec qui j’ai appris à développer un style de jeu qui m’a plu. Même si c’était en Championship (2e division, ndlr), je me suis plus amusé car nous étions vraiment bons, et la manière de jouer me correspondait vraiment.

Je sais quel style d’équipe et de jeu je veux, et c’est très similaire ici. Il y a beaucoup d’intensité en Premier League, puisque les meilleurs joueurs du monde évoluent là-bas, donc chaque matchs se joue à 100%. Ensuite l’ambiance dans les stades est incroyable, ça respire le foot. Mais de mon point de vue, la Ligue 1 est un championnat très sous-estimé, c’est pour ça que je suis content d’être de retour.

Dès que l'AS Monaco s’est présenté, même si je n’avais pas encore discuté avec la direction et le coach, dans ma tête il n’y avait pas de choix à faire, il se fait de lui-même. Ensuite quand est venu le temps des échanges, j’ai tout de suite senti un projet ambitieux même si le début de saison a été compliqué, notamment en raison des blessures.

Wout FaesSur sa décision de rejoindre l'AS Monaco

La décision de venir à l’AS Monaco

Il y a eu plusieurs clubs, car j’avais l’option de partir en prêt donc c’est plus facile forcément pour eux dans l’idée de trouver un accord. Mais encore une fois, dès que l’AS Monaco s’est présenté, même si je n’avais pas encore discuté avec la direction et le coach, dans ma tête il n’y avait pas de choix à faire, il se fait de lui-même. Ensuite quand est venu le temps des échanges, j’ai tout de suite senti un projet ambitieux même si le début de saison a été compliqué, notamment en raison des blessures. Malgré tout, l’objectif doit rester le même, car c’est un grand club de Ligue 1 qui doit viser le plus haut.

𝗕𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝘂𝘁 👋🏻 pic.twitter.com/iU03c4KsTE

— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) January 13, 2026

Son retour en France

Ce n’était pas forcément une priorité de revenir ici, même si j’ai bien aimé et que je connais bien la Ligue 1 en ayant passé deux ans au Stade de Reims. C’est d’ailleurs probablement dans cette période que j’ai pris le plus de plaisir dans ma carrière, où je me suis le plus amusé. Tout le monde sait que c’est un championnat très physique avec beaucoup de joueurs qui ont des qualités techniques, surtout les jeunes, d’autant plus ici à Monaco. Donc je vais essayer d’amener mon expérience et de les aider. Il n’y a pas d’appréhension particulière au moment de revenir ici en France, même si j’ai traversé une période plus compliquée pour la première fois de ma carrière. J’ai pris cette énergie pour travailler encore davantage, et je savais que l’opportunité allait arriver. Je le répète, je pense être prêt, en tout cas tous les tests physiques étaient bons. L’entraînement aussi s’est bien passé, mais il y a surtout une grosse envie de jouer !

On the Belgian national team

Of course, the 2026 World Cup is on my mind; every player thinks about it. I’ve already had a taste of playing for the national team, I played in the European Championships, and for a while I was an undisputed starter. Things got more challenging afterward because of the situation with Leicester, but for me, it’s clearly an added motivation. Ultimately, I’m here to play matches, so it’s up to me to prove myself, and playing for the national team would be a bonus if the opportunity arises.

He's a player that AS Monaco has been following for a long time, and he's well-known to our scouting department. I think that, given his situation at Leicester, we'll have a player who is motivated to help the team and contribute to what we're trying to build, and who is especially eager to play again and get back to where he deserves to be. He can play in different systems, as he has done with Belgium in recent years. We know many people in common. He's a guy with a great personality, and he was considered a leader in the Leicester dressing room. I also know many players who have played with him on the national team. They confirmed his qualities in terms of personality and the impact he can have on the game with the ball. Once again, this will also help mentor our young players.

Sébastien PocognoliOn Wout Faes

On Sébastien Pocognoli

I didn’t know him personally before, although I obviously know the work he has done in Belgium with Union Saint-Gilloise. He’s a very ambitious young coach, who has a well-defined playing style that suits me. And as soon as we talked, the connection was there; they explained the situation and the needs of the team to me.

On the Club and the squad

I made my official debut in Ligue 1 against this AS Monaco team, and it was a draw if I remember correctly. (2-2 in August 2020, ndlr). It’s a big club that’s known not only in France but all over the world. Regarding the current players, I know a few of them from England, against whom I had the opportunity to play. Thilo (Kehrer) and Eric (Dier)? They are great players, experienced individuals, and I think we’re going to push each other to become even better. And to have a strong team, it’s good to have competition. I was really surprised, because it’s a very open group, and the staff is too, which means you feel welcome right away, and I think that will make it easier for me to integrate into this situation where I need to adapt quickly.

The team’s absences in defence

It’s my job, I’m a defender, and I take pride in conceding as few goals as possible. It’s a challenge to make a tackle, to keep a clean sheet, and that gives me extra motivation. Personally, I’m a fairly consistent player, and once again, I feel ready to start.

I think I'm a player who likes to defend high up the pitch, be aggressive, and that suits the team's style of play. I also hope to bring some defensive stability on set pieces, because that's very important, and maybe even score a goal from time to time.

Wout FaesOn what he wants to bring to the team

His qualities on the pitch

I don’t like talking about myself too much, but I think Thiago (Scuro) summed it up very well. I consider myself a player who likes to defend high up the pitch, be aggressive, and that suits the team’s style of play. I also hope to bring some defensive stability on set pieces, as that’s very important, and maybe even score a goal from time to time. Finally, I like to play the ball out cleanly from the back, and I think that fits the style of play here.

The team’s current form

Do I feel pressure coming into this situation? No, I don’t think so. Obviously, there’s a certain amount of pressure because AS Monaco is a big club, and therefore we need to deliver results. But I’m trying to project positive energy, even in training, because I understand that the players are demanding and want to win. But when I see the intensity there was today during the training session, it proves that everyone is really focused, so I think we can turn things around quite quickly.

On speaking to Youri Tielemans

I’m not necessarily the kind of player who needs a lot of information from other players to make a decision. It was up to me to come here, even though he was very positive about everything! He told me it’s a great club and that he enjoyed his time here, so he confirmed to me that it was an incredible opportunity for me.

His choice of the number 25

There weren’t too many “low” options, but it was the day I married my wife, so the choice was made quickly (smile)!