Balls.ie

Not for the first time in the past 12 months, a Troy Parrott goal for Ireland has captured the attention of the watching football world.

Parrott had Ireland flying and the Aviva rocking on Thursday night, with his first-half double putting the Boys in Green 2-0 up at the break against Austria.

His first goal will be remembered as one of the great Irish goals for years to come.

It's hard to think of a more skilful solo goal ever scored for the Irish national team, with Parrott nutmegging one Austrian defender and dummying past a second to send the Irish fans into raptures.

Ireland ultimately went on to concede two late goals to let two points slip through their grasp, with Parrott's withdrawal on 74 minutes seen as a turning point.

Just like his last-gasp hat-trick winner in Budapest last November, Parrott's worldie on Thursday night has garnered global attention, with DAZN's clip of the goal going viral on Twitter.

Football fans around the world were blown away by Parrott's skill in dismantling the Austrian defence, with some suggesting the goal would have drawn even more attention if scored by a Brazilian or Spanish star.

Plenty also enjoyed the shrug of frustration from Parrott when he first got the ball, realising that he had limited support from Irish teammates - instead deciding to take on the Austrian defence himself.

For Tottenham Hotspur fans, though, the footage of the goal led to far more painful revelations.

Spurs fans react to Parrott worldie

Troy Parrott's former club Spurs were among those linked with a move for the Irishman when it became clear he would leave AZ Alkmaar last summer, even if the Premier League side are in utter turmoil.

Parrott's time at the club saw him struggle to make any kind of impression on the first team, while a number of doomed loan spells in lower divisions ultimately saw the Dubliner broaden his horizons toward the continent.

Many would contend that Spurs totally mishandled Parrott's development, and plenty of the club's fans were lamenting letting such a talent slip through their grasp after his worldie on Thursday night.

One Spurs fan account posted a video of Parrott's goal, asking if fans would take the Irishman back on White Hart Lane.

The replies were predictably brutal.

"Why would he want to play Championship football next year?" one fan said.

"The bigger question is if Troy would ever consider returning to Tottenham," wrote another.

"Tell me with a straight face Richarlison or Solanke scores that goal," one fan mused.

Ouch.

The sentiment was shared across social media, with fans pointing out that Spurs had failed Troy Parrott, and were paying the price for missing out on a player who was tipped to become the "next Harry Kane" when he broke through in North London.

With Spurs sitting bottom of the Premier League table, and Troy Parrott scoring winners against Real Madrid and in the Champions League, we don't think there's any doubt which of the pair will be happier with the current state of affairs.

As we approach the end of the summer transfer window, the race to sign Ireland striker Troy Parrott looks to be close to reaching its conclusion.

It has long been assumed that the 24-year old would leave AZ Alkmaar this summer. He was one of the most prolific goalscorers in European football last season and has outgrown his current surroundings.

Parrott has been linked with some intriguing clubs in recent months, with the likes of Ajax, Real Betis, Porto, and RB Leipzig all said to be interested in his services. However, it seems that West Ham have emerged as the surprise favourites for his signature.

The London club have already had a €18million bid rejected for the player, although it is expected that they will return with an improved offer over the coming days.

Ironically, their willingness to spend heavily on Troy Parrott could end up benefitting one of their biggest rivals.

Troy Parrott Set To Earn Tottenham Massive Windfall

Troy Parrott moved to Tottenham Hotspur as a 15-year old, spending a few seasons in their academy before eventually making a handful of first team appearances.

While Spurs did not feel he was ready to for consistent minutes at the club, they clearly believed that the Irishman had the potential to become an valuable player in the future.

They would sell him to AZ Alkmaar for a fee worth around €8million in the summer of 2024. They also inserted a 20 per cent sell-on clause in the deal, something that looks like a shrewd move as the interest in the player continues to increase.

It has been suggested that the Dutch club would seek a fee in the region of €30million to sanction Parrott's sale this summer. Such a deal would see Spurs pocket €6million (£5.1million) due to the sell-on clause.

That may not be a hugely significant amount of money for a Premier League club, but it would come close to doubling the amount that they ultimately received for the player.

Troy Parrott saga set to conclude by end of month

It remains to be seen what the fee for Troy Parrott will ultimately be, but it will certainly be in excess of the €18million (£15million) that West Ham opened the bidding with. They will certainly have to surpass the Championship record fee of £17.5million in order to get the deal over the line.

The news of a potential move to the Championship has been met with a mixed reaction by Ireland supporters, although it is suggested that the likes of RB Leipzig and Porto still maintain an interest in the player.

The situation could even stretch on towards deadline day, although it seems that West Ham are keen to wrap up the move as quick as possible.

While there will be quite a bit of interest around various Ireland players during the upcoming season, few of them will garner as much attention as Mason Melia.

The 18-year old finally made his long anticipated move to Tottenham earlier this year, arriving in London as a seasoned pro after his experiences with St Pat's in the League of Ireland. However, his opportunities were very limited after that point.

Melia was nursing a back injury when he moved to Spurs, resulting in a lengthy spell on the sidelines. He would eventually make a handful of appearances for the club's U21 side before the end of the season, going on to play with the first team during pre-season.

It remains to be seen where he will be playing in the 2026/27 campaign, with a loan move elsewhere looking likely.

It seems as though he will not be short on potential options.

Ireland's Mason Melia drawing huge transfer interest

Mason Melia looks set to leave Spurs on loan this summer, but his final destination has yet to be decided.

Football journalist Pete O'Rourke is reporting that no fewer than 30 clubs in the UK and Europe have enquired about the possibility of signing the Ireland international.

A move to the Championship is thought to be the most likely outcome at this point. One Spurs insider has suggested that Lincoln City are currently leading the race for the striker, although no deal has been finalised as of yet.

It will be interesting to see how the situation develops over the coming days and weeks.

Mason Melia aiming to make big leap in 2026/27

Mason Melia will look to choose his next move carefully, with the player having placed an emphasis on consistent first team opportunities up to this point in his career.

A successful loan move in the upcoming campaign would move him closer to his ultimate goal of becoming a Premier League and Ireland regular.

The 18-year old made his senior international debut back in May, coming off the bench for the game against Qatar at the Aviva Stadium. He would add a second cap in Canada soon after.

Consistent minutes over the coming months would put Melia firmly in the frame for further international honours during the upcoming UEFA Nations League campaign.

Ireland will play six games in that competition across September, October, and November, starting with a four-game window towards the end of next month.

Mason Melia scored just three minutes into his first appearance in a Tottenham jersey on Saturday, spurring the U21s on to a 3-2 comeback win over West Ham.

One of the most highly-rated young Irish footballers in many years, 18-year-old Melia arrived at Spurs from St. Patrick's Athletic in January for a record transfer fee for a League of Ireland player.

However, fitness issues meant that Melia only made his bow on Saturday - and he made an instant impact for the Spurs U21s in their Premier League 2 London derby with West Ham United.

Melia was introduced with 23 minutes to play, with Spurs 2-1 down at home.

It took Melia just three minutes to bring the sides level with a close-range finish from Calum Logan's low, driven cross.

Spurs would go on to complete the comeback and prevail 3-2, on a long overdue and memorable day for young Melia.

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Mason Melia scores for Spurs U21s

Melia's move to Spurs was completed last February, but he saw out the 2025 season at St. Patrick's Athletic due to Brexit regulations preventing Irish players from moving to the UK before their 18th birthday. He would finish the League of Ireland season with 13 goals, just one goal shy of top scorer Padraig Amond.

The Wicklow native arrived at Tottenham in January, but struggled with both a back injury and a chest infection in his first few months at the club.

Speaking to Spurs' social media team after Saturday's win, Melia praised the work of the club's physios in helping him return to full fitness.

"I've never felt better in my body," Melia said.

"To be honest, they've looked after me really well, the physios, everyone in there, so I'm feeling really good in myself and I've settled in well. So, excited to be back."

It was clear that this return to play was long overdue in Melia's mind, and that he was buzzing not only to be back out on the pitch but to help inspire Spurs' second-half comeback.

Obviously, I'm buzzing to be back on the pitch, mainly. It's been a long six months. I'm happy to get the goal and win the game.

It's a nice feeling to get used to, but that's my job at the end of the day, so I'm happy to be back doing that.

I did [have an impact on the comeback], to be fair, I think the lads done really well to grind in really. Look, it was a tough slog game but you get the 3-2 result and it's a good win.

It was a scrappy game, but it's a London derby, they're going to be like that. It's going to be tough. I thought the lads dug in well, did very well to get the goals back.

There will hopefully be even bigger days with Spurs for Mason Melia, but this must rank among the proudest moments of his career to date.

The Ireland U21 international said that many of his family had flown to London especially to see the game, making it all the more memorable an occasion.

A good few of them have, I've a big family, so a good few of them came over. My parents, my missus...yeah, I'm buzzing to have them here as well, it makes it more special.

It's been a long time coming. I'm really proud to make my debut and have it happen finally, I thought it was never going to happen! No, look, I'm buzzing to be here and get started.

We have a funny feeling that will prove to be the first of many goals in a Spurs jersey for Mason Melia.

It was a difficult day for Keith Andrews' Brentford on Saturday, as Spurs dominated the Bees to stroll to a 2-0 win in North London.

Andrews' predecessor at Brentford, Thomas Frank, has been under fierce pressure at Tottenham in recent weeks. The optics of Frank losing to the team he left for Spurs over the summer could have been disastrous for the Dane.

In the end, however, it was an unexpectedly routine win for the home side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Goals from Richarlison and the under-fire Xavi Simons secured a 2-0 win for Spurs, on a night when they dominated the game by every statistical measure.

After a hugely impressive start to life in charge for Andrews, his Brentford charges have now lost three of their last four games, and the relegation zone is not too far away.

Speaking on Premier Sports post-match, Irishmen Damien Delaney and Chris Hughton debated whether Andrews should be concerned of the threat of relegation.

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Spurs 2-0 Brentford: Keith Andrews loses out to Thomas Frank

Speaking on Premier Sports post-match, Damien Delaney would admit he had checked Brentford's position in the table after Spurs' opener, and found himself surprised at where they said in the table.

"About 25 minutes in there I just popped on my phone to check just to make sure," Delaney said.

You do think they're mid table and they're fine.

They're seven points out of [the relegation zone] now, although they've played a game more.

Over Christmas, when you've got games bang-bang-bang back-to-back, you come out the other side in January for the first week in January in the FA Cup...it's only 2 or 3 points that can happen very, very quickly and now you're being mooted as a potential [relegation candidate].

At the start of the season, Keith Andrews' Brentford were widely tipped among the favourites for relgation, a label they appeared to have shirked by late October.

Recent weeks, however, have brought them back to the pack at the bottom of the table somewhat. They now sit in 14th, seven points above the relegation zone, though two of the four teams directly behind them have games in hand.

Brentford cannot get too comfy where they stand and, though he has no fear that Andrews' side will be relegated, Delaney was keen to stress as much in his post-match analysis.

Delaney described the Bees' performance as "un-Brentford-like," while Chris Hughton warned Andrews against being too dependent on striker Igor Thiago, who has scored 11 goals thus far this season.

"There can become a reliance on your number nine," Hughton said.

"If I'm looking at the season that he's had, [it's] very difficult to sustain that, for a club like Brentford to sustain that for a full season."

Delaney did say that he did not fear that Brentford would be relegated, but that Keith Andrews must be wary to run a steady ship during what is set to be one of the busiest periods of the year.

"Their home form is very strong, They'll always just have their noses out in front," Delaney explained.

"So I think they'll be fine, but Keith needs to get more out of that team away from home."

In his post-match interview with Brentford's in-house social media team, manager Keith Andrews would himself admit that his team had been well below their usual levels against Spurs.

"I think the reality is we didn't perform in the first half," Andrews said.

"We'll search as to the reasons why that was. The league is so demanding, the individuals that you come up against, the key moments within games, what you do with or without the ball, etc.

"You have to be at a certain level to compete in this league, and we weren't quite at that level. Our lads have been immense all season, the performance levels have been really consistent as we look to grow this team and take a new step.

"Unfortunately, today, we didn't hit the levels that we've become pretty consistent with."

Brentford have picked up just one win on the road this season, and have lost their last four away games on the bounce.

For Wednesday's game at Arsenal, Andrews heavily rotated his team - a decision Delaney joked may have backfired.

Keith Andrews has done a tremendous job at Brentford thus far, but the Premier League is infamously precarious for any teams in the bottom half.

Provided they can maintain their impressive home form, they should be safe with relative ease this season - even if they may be looking slightly nervously over their shoulder over the festive period.

While Ireland fans have long known about the talents of Troy Parrott, quite a few eyebrows in the world of football were likely to have been raised on the back of the player's exploits in recent days.

His brace against Portugal was one thing, but the hat-trick he scored to lead Ireland to a win over Hungary in Budapest was even more impressive. The AZ Alkmaar man showed a ridiculous amount of composure to score the two goals to power his side to the late comeback, booking their place in the World Cup play-offs as a result.

As a result, some are questioning why Parrott was not given more of an opportunity while coming through at his first professional club.

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Tim Sherwood Makes Troy Parrott Spurs Claim After Ireland Exploits

Troy Parrott joined Tottenham Hotspur as a 15-year old, going on to sign a pro contract with the club a couple of years later. However, first team opportunities were difficult to come by in North London.

The Dubliner would be shipped off on loan to a number of EFL clubs, before eventually signing for AZ Alkmaar on a permanent deal in the summer of 2024. He has since gone from strength to strength in the Netherlands, before now making a major breakthrough at international level.

Speaking on Sky Sports, former Spurs manager Tim Sherwood questioned the club's treatment of Troy Parrott during his time in London, suggesting they have spent vast sums of money on less talented players in recent seasons.

Unfortunately for Troy, he's had to leave Tottenham to do that. I've got a big question for anyone who decided to let Troy Parrott go...

I'm not sure he had a fair opportunity to prove himself, he's had to go to AZ to do that. He's not just all of sudden appeared in these last two games for the Republic of Ireland, he's been banging in goals like you wouldn't believe in Holland.

We know it's an easier platform over there, but he never got the opportunity to show his quality for Tottenham. He never got a fair crack at the whip...

Tottenham have signed players for 60, 50, 40 million playing in Troy's position. I can tell you now, they're not as good as Troy Parrott.

Tottenham should have saved their money, give this kid an opportunity, and spend it elsewhere...

That boy, hopefully from his sake, will come back and haunt them. At the moment he is going the right way about it.

Spurs have spent big on a number of forwards in recent seasons, with the likes of Richarlison, Dominic Solanke, and Matyhs Tel failing to impress at the club despite arriving for substantial fees.

Troy Parrott was given very few first team opportunities at Spurs, while many of his loans spells in the lower leagues were not as successful as had been hoped. He certainly looks like a new player since moving to the continent, with the striker unlikely to have any regrets over how the last few years of his career have played out.

If he keeps scoring goals at his current rate, it won't be long before some big clubs around the continent come calling for his services.

Having arrived as a much heralded alternative to the Glazer family, it has not take long for Manchester United supporters to reconsider their enthusiasm for Jim Ratcliffe.

The 72-year old has not exactly exuded competence since arriving at Old Trafford, making a number of questionable decisions. The first one involved the decision to keep Erik ten Hag as manager at the end of the 2023/24 season, only to then sack him a few months later.

Ratcliffe would also spend a long period of time attempting to poach Dan Ashworth from Newcastle United, only to get rid of him a few months after his arrival. Couple that with some unpopular spending cuts at the club, as well as a rise in ticket prices, and you can understand why many are unhappy with the Manchester United minority owner.

As it turns out, other clubs are also having their problems with Jim Ratcliffe at the minute.

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Spurs Are Reportedly Suing Manchester United's Jim Ratcliffe

The Telegraph are reporting that Tottenham Hotspur are suing Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS for £11.1million due to the alleged breach of a contract signed back in 2022.

It is claimed that Ratcliffe's firm signed a £17.5million deal with Spurs to promote the Ineos Grenadier as their “official 4x4 vehicle partner”. However, they failed to make a £5million due on the deal last year, with Spurs now suing for what they believed was the remainder of the money owed on the contract.

In a statement to The Telegraph, an INEOS spokesperson said:

Ineos Automotive was a partner of Tottenham Hotspur from 2022, expanding on a partnership agreement that Ineos Group had in place with the club since 2020.

We had a contractual right to terminate our partnership contract and in December 2024 exercised that right.

A messy situation.

It remains to be seen what the ultimate outcome of this process will be.

St Patrick’s Athletic star Mason Melia has signed for Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur. He has departed the Incihore club for a League of Ireland record sale of €1.9 million rising to €4 million with adds on.

The former St Joseph Boys striker has smashed the League of Ireland record sale becoming the first player in the league's history to be sold for an initial fee of over €1 million with St Pats also having a 20% sell on clause in the deal.

Spurs have beaten off serious interest from Premier League rivals Manchester City, Chelsea, Everton. Celtic and Bayer Leverkusen were also heavily linked. Man City attempted to sign Melia last summer and send him to affiliate club Lommel SK in Belgium until he was 18 but the player preferred the option of playing in the League of Ireland.

The 2024 PFAI Young Player of the Year will stay at St Pats until January 2026 meaning he will play the full season with Pat’s who are favorites to win the League of Ireland and will compete in the Conference League qualifiers.

Melia has scored 10 goals in 54 appearances across all competitions for St Pat’s and made history as the youngest-ever goalscorer in the League of Ireland when he netted against UCD in June 2023.

Melia, who hails from County Wicklow, started off at Newtown Juniors before moving to St Joseph’s Boys, who will both also benefit from any moves in the future.

The news was confirmed by the Tottenham Hotspur academy as well as by St Pats.

Melia will join former St Patricks Athletic player Josh Keeley in the Spurs family, though Keeley is currently on loan with Leyton Orient.

Spurs fans on social media were pretty excited by the move.

The official League of Ireland launch is tomorrow at Dublin's Mansion House, and it will be fascinating to get the thoughts of Stephen Kenny on the move.

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It looks as though Troy Parrott's time at Spurs is about to draw to a close, with the Irishman on the verge of joining Dutch club AZ Alkmaar.

The Dubliner joined the Premier League side back in 2017, arriving in North London with massive expectations. The hype around Parrott only continued to build with his exploits in the Spurs youth teams, going on to make his Premier League debut as a 17-year old.

However, he would never manage to nail down a spot in the first team squad. Loan spells at the likes of Millwall, Ipswich Town, and Preston North End would follow, experiencing varying levels of success at each.

His career looked in danger of stalling just 12 months ago, although he would find his feet against after joining Excelsior Rotterdam. His tally of 17 goals and five assists last season was enough to draw the interest of a number of clubs this summer, with AZ Alkmaar now winning the race for his signature.

In saying that, quite a few Spurs fans have been complaining over one aspect of the deal.

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Spurs Fans Not Impressed With One Aspect Of Troy Parrott's Move

Spurs will receive a fee of €8million for Troy Parrott, a reasonable amount considering that he was unlikely to be part of Ange Postecoglou's plans and had just 12 months remaining on his contract.

However, quite a few of the club's supporters seem unhappy with the transfer fee. Considering his form last season in the Eredivisie, they were hoping that Spurs could recoup a bit more money for the sale of the Ireland international.

The fee received by Spurs does seem pretty fair considering the player's contract situation, although considering he is a proven performer in the Dutch league, they might have been hoping for a slightly bigger amount from a club in that country.

Looking at Troy Parrott's age and track record in the Netherlands, you would have high hopes that he will be a success at AZ Almkaar. He will also have the opportunity to play in European competition this season, with the club having qualified for the Europa League after their fourth-placed finish in the 2023/24 campaign.

It is certainly an exciting move.

On the back of a stellar loan campaign at Excelsior Rotterdam last time out, it will be important for Troy Parrott to maintain that momentum as he heads into the 2024/25 season over the coming months.

The Dubliner's career had looked in danger of stagnating in recent years, becoming an afterthought at Spurs and experiencing mixed results during his various loan spells in the EFL. However, his time in the Netherlands has reversed this trend.

Parrott thrived in the Erdevisie, scoring 17 goals and registering five assists for Excelsior. While the club would ultimately relegated via the play-offs, it was a massively impressive campaign for the forward from a personal prospective.

He must now choose his next move wisely. Some had expected that he would be given an opportunity to stake his claim for a place at Spurs next season, although that looks unlikely as things stand.

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Troy Parrott Not Training With Spurs Amid Rumours Of Dutch Bid

Spurs returned to pre-season training in recent days, with their squad members not currently on international duty reporting to the club's case to get preparations for next season underway.

Troy Parrott was among that group.

However, it seems as though he has not been taking part in group sessions with the rest of the squad.

He was not listed among the first team and academy prospects that took part in training released by Football London this week. The Irishman also did not appear in any of the official training images or clips shared by the club.

The reasons for that are unclear, with it being possible that some sort of injury prevented him from taking part.

In saying that, well connected Spurs reporter Paul O'Keefe has said on Twitter that while the reasons for Parrott's absence have not been confirmed, it could be down to a pending bid from Dutch club AZ Alkmaar.

It has previously been reported that a number of Dutch clubs were interested in signing Troy Parrott this summer on the back of his performances with Excelsior, with the likes of Ajax, Feyenoord, PSV Eindhoven, and AZ Alkmaar all linked.

The comments from Paul O'Keefe would suggest that AZ's interest is the most concrete as things stand, with the groundwork perhaps being laid ahead of a potential bid over the coming days or weeks.

Parrott recently spoke about how he felt that Dutch league was better suited to his skillset than the English game, something that will likely influence his decision when choosing his next club.

After making quite a progress last season, he will be keen to build upon those successes once the new campaign kicks off later this summer.