Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Troy Parrott has been prolific since being sold to AZ Alkmaar last summer
Former Tottenham Hotspur starlet Troy Parrott has captured attention with his heroics for Ireland. The striker enjoyed an unforgettable few days as he helped keep the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup hopes alive.
The 23-year-old scored a brace last Thursday to seal an unlikely home victory over Portugal, but Parrott went one step further in Ireland’s final World Cup qualifier. Away in Hungary, he completed his hat-trick in the 96th minute to give Ireland a 3-2 win and book their place in the play-offs.
Parrott has flourished since being sold by Spurs in 2024. The young forward was considered a hot prospect during his time at the club but only made four first team appearances, being loaned out on five occasions.
His final loan spell as a Spurs player was with Dutch side Excelsior, where Parrott’s performances impressed AZ Alkmaar. Parrott was sold for £6.7million, with former boss Ange Postecoglou later explaining that competition for places, including the subsequent arrival of Dominic Solanke, limited his chances of making a first team breakthrough.
Despite leaving Spurs, Parrott was not away from the club for long. Tottenham faced AZ in the Europa League group phase before meeting again during the round of 16 on Spurs’ route to winning the trophy.
"It is good to see Troy doing well, I think he had a great loan spell in the Dutch League last year," Postecoglou said ahead of the group game between the two sides. "He is looking like he started his AZ career in positive fashion too so it is great.
"In terms of getting a chance, sometimes in football it is just about timing. We have a striker here mate who was at Chelsea and Liverpool early in his career and he has done alright since. There is a pathway forward for everybody."
Parrott has thrived since his permanent move to AZ. He scored 20 goals in all competitions last season and has been even more prolific at the start of this campaign, scoring 13 goals in 14 games.
Spurs will be pleased to see their former prospect thriving, not least because Tottenham could still profit from the striker’s next move. football.london understands that Spurs included a 20 per cent sell-on clause as part of Parrott’s move to AZ.
However, Spurs did not agree a buyback clause in Parrott’s deal. The forward is likely to attract interest from plenty of clubs in future transfer windows due to the combination of his club form and vital goals for Ireland.
Meanwhile, Parrott will want to continue his hot streak as he returns to club action. The former Spurs star was overcome with emotion when asked how he felt after his hat-trick for Ireland.
"I'm really, really emotional. They're tears of joy. Ah, what a night, what a night," Parrott told RTE. "This is why we love football, because things like this can happen. Look, I love where I'm from, so this means the world to me. My family is here.
"It's the first time I've cried in years as well, I really, really can't believe it. Everyone is crying. I said against Portugal that this is what dreams are made of, but this tonight, I don't think I'll ever have a better night in my whole life.
"That is really a fairy tale. You can't even dream about something like that. Honestly, I have no words to describe my emotions right now."