Dékwon Barrow: 'I'm meant to be here with Toronto FC'

One of six brothers and sisters, TFC 2 forward Dékwon Barrow proved to be a real handful for his parents while growing up. 

"I wasn't a bad kid, but I was just always outside running around with my friends, throwing rocks or doing other stuff. My mom basically looked at me and said, 'You got to do something.' So, she put me into soccer and that's when everything changed for me," Barrow told TFC Republic. 

His mom's decision to enrol Barrow in youth soccer proved to be a wise move. Barrow originally joined Toronto FC's youth academy in 2016 after spending seven years with York Jets. He ended up leaving and spent time with North Toronto Soccer Club and Athletic Institute Football Club before starting a second stint with TFC's youth academy in 2022. 

Barrow made his debut for TFC 2 the following year and signed his first professional contract with the club on March 15, 2024. In total, the 21-year-old has played in 30 games, scoring four goals and tallying an assist in MLS NEXT Pro. 

Barrow made his senior team debut in last month's Canadian Championship loss to CF Montreal, as Toronto FC was mired in an injury crisis with several of their forwards ruled out for the match. Barrow started and ended up playing 73 minutes and had a hand in setting up Theo Corbeanu's opening goal. 

"He's athletic; he can be a handful. Obviously, I watched him with TFC 2, and the timing of his runs is good. He has a lot of upside, but he's young, and he has a lot of things to learn as well. ... Circumstances kind of threw him into the game last time, and I thought he did a number of things well for us. He’s certainly a player that we will continue to watch closely," coach Robin Fraser said. 

In this one-on-one interview with TFC Republic, Barrow discusses his Toronto FC debut, getting kicked out of the TFC youth academy and then coming back, his aspirations for the future, and much more.