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17-year old Tottenham Hotspur prodigy and striker got a call-up to Mick McCarthy’s provisional Ireland squad ahead of this week’s EURO qualifiers, but never ended up making the team. Parrot was called back to the Ireland U21s, and to be fair, that was also significant as it was his first call-up to that level of Ireland’s youth setup.
He made the most of that chance yesterday in his debut, scoring the only goal in Ireland’s 1-0 win over Armenia U21. Parrott was in the right place at the right time to tap in a cross from teammate Aaron Connolly.
31: GOAL!
— eir Sport (@eirSport) September 6, 2019
IRELAND U21s 1-0 Armenia U21s
Troy Parrott nets on his debut from close range, following Aaron Connolly's brilliant run and cross down the left flank.
LIVE now on eir sport 1! #IRLU21 #U21EURO pic.twitter.com/AdtGTSso0g
Gotta say, while Party Parrott’s goal is a great poacher’s goal and he did well to get open and be in the right position to score, Connolly’s run from the midway line is the real story here, as he basically dribbled past three Armenia players before finding Parrott right in front of goal.
However, Parrott did extremely well in his U21 debut. If you think he’s getting Tottenham Hotspur-related buzz, it sounds as though that’s nothing compared to the attention Parrott is getting at home, where he continues to be compared with a young Robbie Keane. Thankfully it seems like he’s got a good head on his shoulders. Here’s Parrott in an interview with Eir Sport after the match, talking about how much better the competition is, even at the U21 level.
"It just goes to show the talent Ireland have at underage level at all levels.
— eir Sport (@eirSport) September 6, 2019
"Competition for places is really high at the moment."@SpursOfficial forward Troy Parrott speaks to @SDawsonSport following his goalscoring debut for Ireland Under 21s against Armenia tonight. pic.twitter.com/ch3plZlyYC
This was only Troy’s first match at this level, but you can understand why Irish fans are so excited about his potential. Frankly, we should be as well. Parrott gets another shot to spread his wings on September 10 when Ireland travels to Sweden, andt he rumors are that Parrott is expected to get his senior Tottenham Hotspur debut in the League Cup match at Colchester. A solid performance there could lead to even greater opportunities down the road — he’s already been named to Mauricio Pochettino’s Champions League squad — and if he continues to impress it won’t be long until he gets another call from Mick McCarthy, and gets asked to stay with the senior Ireland team.
Patience is required for a player this young — he’s unlikely to be starting next to Harry Kane anytime soon — but Parrott is already looking like the best player to come through Tottenham’s academy since... well, Harry Kane.
