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Ex-Tottenham striker Troy Parrott became a national hero by scoring five goals in two games to help the Republic of Ireland book their place in the World Cup play-offs over the weekend

Troy Parrott's heroics for the Republic of Ireland have left Tottenham fans thinking what might've been. Parrott, 23, scored both goals in his country's 2-0 win against Portugal in Dublin on Thursday before bagging a hat-trick during Sunday's dramatic 3-2 win away to Hungary.

His haul of five goals, the last of which was a 96th-minute winner, sealed Ireland's place in the World Cup play-offs, recovering from a dismal start to their qualifying campaign. The striker is the new poster boy of Irish football, having been on the books at Spurs between 2017 and 2024.

Parrott joined Dutch outfit AZ Alkmaar on a permanent basis last year, with Tottenham selling him for €8 million (£6.7m). After drawing comparisons to Robbie Keane following an impressive display in a 2019 pre-season clash with Juventus, big things were expected of him.

Jose Mourinho was appointed a few months later and in March 2020, Parrott ended up being Spurs' only fit striker. As fans urged Mourinho to give him a chance, Parrott continued playing in the under-23s and, according to his boss, made his frustration clear.

"I told him before the (youth team) game: 'Every time you play with the kids of your age, you have to show your colleagues why you are the privileged one' because it was something he was not doing," Mourinho said at a press conference.

"Every time he was playing with the kids, he was playing with the mentality of, 'I shouldn't be here' or, 'I am too good to be here'. I had exactly the same words with Scott McTominay (at Manchester United).

"He was not loved in his age group because he was not there with the right frame of mind. The moment we started changing that lots of things started changing for him. Troy cannot go there [the under‐age teams] with discontent, contempt.

"It is a process. So everything goes very, very well. But this is a world where lots of people don't even know if Troy has long hair or short hair, or is blond or is dark.

"They don't even know that and they speak about Troy, Troy, Troy. There was a guy behind me on the bench the other day: 'Play Troy, play Troy'. I don't think he knows Troy."

The following season, Parrott joined Millwall on loan and was asked about Mourinho's comments - and he gave a mature response. "To be fair, he's such an experienced manager and he's done nearly everything in the game, so if he feels like that's right then there must be some truth in it and I had to take it on the chin," Parrott explained.

"I was speaking to coaching staff and players finding out what I needed to do to be better. Because, obviously, Mourinho has worked with some of the best strikers there's ever been.

"To get advice off him was great. I knew what I needed to do. It was helpful advice."

Five years later, Parrott is hot property and linked with a return to the Premier League. In an emotional interview with RTE after Sunday's comeback, the 23-year-old beamed: "This is why we love football because anything can happen.

"I just love where I'm from. My family are here. My mum is so proud of me. This is the first time I've cried in years. The boys are all crying over there.

"I don't think I'll have a better night in my life. It's a fairytale, you couldn't dream anything like that."

Arsenal have a number of injury worries ahead of the North London derby against Tottenham with Mikel Arteta hoping for good news this week.

Arsenal have injury and fitness worries over several players ahead of the return of the Premier League after the November international break.

It’s back to action with a bang for the Gunners next Sunday as they host North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium (4.30pm kick-off).

Ahead of the game, Arsenal have been handed one big injury worry in particular. Influential defender Gabriel Magalhaes limped off the Emirates Stadium pitch during Brazil’s friendly with Senegal on Saturday.

Despite the player warming up separately from the rest of the team due to concerns about load management, he started the match. However, in the second half he was forced off the pitch with a thigh injury.

Following the match, Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti said : "Bad? I don’t know, he had a problem on his adductor the medical staff have to check tomorrow.

"We are really sorry for this, really disappointed, when players have an injury I hope they can recover well and soon.”

The next day, the Brazilian Football Association gave an update . "Arsenal player Gabriel Magalhaes was re-evaluated this Sunday and underwent imaging tests that revealed a muscle injury in his right thigh,” the statement read.

"Therefore, the player will not travel with the team for the match against Tunisia in Lille. No other player will be called up to replace him."

How serious the injury is, or how long it could keep him out for is still to be seen. Manager Mikel Arteta will give the latest in his pre-match press conference later this week.

The international break also brought concern over Riccardo Calafiori. The full-back dropped out of the Italy squad ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Norway.

However, in a boost to Arsenal, it has since been claimed that the defender will be available to play against Tottenham despite his withdrawal from international duties.

Arteta will be hoping for more good news over players’ availability this week. Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Odegaard and Noni Madueke have all been on the sidelines.

They are all closing in on a return with it hoped that at least some will be available to make an appearance in the North London derby.

"It's moving forward," Odegaard said of his injury comeback on Sunday. "The match today came a little too early... But it's starting to look better, so hopefully I'll be back soon."

Tottenham Hotspur star Dominic Solanke has made only three appearances for Thomas Frank's team so far this term having been out with an injury

Tottenham Hotspur striker Dominic Solanke has provided a new update as he continues his recovery from injury.

The forward has made just three appearances this term as he attempted to manage the issue. Solanke is hoping to make a swift return, with boss Thomas Frank revealing in early October that he does not expect the ex-Bournemouth star to be out for an extended period.

The 28-year-old has not featured for Spurs since August and has played just 49 minutes across matches against Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City and Burnley. And the Englishman has been trying to stay positive, if his recent activity on Instagram is anything to go by.

On Sunday, he posted: "Little bit of life," alongside several more pictures of him.

Solanke's post follows one from four weeks ago with a similar tone. "Positivity through the dark times," he said, alongside several more pictures of him.

Solanke has recently indicated on social media that it won't be long until he returns to the pitch.

"Hi everyone, quick update about my current situation," he posted. "The last few months have been very frustrating as I've tried everything possible to try and push through my ankle issue before taking the option of surgery.

"None of this managed to solve the problem, so we had to go ahead with minor surgery which I underwent this morning. It was all successful so hopefully I'll be back on the pitch in the very near future!

"Thank you for all your love and messages."

Ahead of Spurs' Champions League clash against Bodo/Glimt in September, Frank revealed that Solanke's absence from the trip was due to the surgery. "Dom, you know, got that ankle issue that's been bothering him for a little while," he said.

"So now we decided to make a minor surgery. It's a small procedure. So that will mean he's not ready for today, of course.

"And of course, Leeds he's out as well. We will have more news about time frame after the international break. But I don't expect it to be long."

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has several injury concerns within his squad before the Gunners return to action this weekend against Tottenham Hotspur after the international break

Arsenal have been dealt several injury concerns during the November international break.

Mikel Arteta's team have worked themselves into a promising position after 11 games in the Premier League. The Gunners sit four points clear of second-placed Manchester City and eight ahead of last season's winners, Liverpool.

Arteta's side have won eight, drawn two and lost just once in the league so far. Their only defeat came at Anfield against Liverpool, courtesy of a second-half free-kick from Dominik Szoboszlai.

But there are several injury concerns for Arteta's squad heading into Sunday's trip to Tottenham Hotspur. Below is the latest on Arsenal's injuries...

Gabriel

Gabriel Magalhaes was seen limping off during Brazil's clash against Senegal on Saturday. The centre-back was in some pain after holding what looked to be a groin injury on his right side.

Gabriel's expression said it all, and he covered his face with his shirt in frustration as he exited the pitch. Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti initially said Gabriel had suffered an adductor injury but scans confirmed he sustained a knee injury.

In a statement on Sunday, the Brazilian Football Confederation said: “Arsenal player Gabriel Magalhaes was re-evaluated this Sunday (16) and underwent imaging tests that revealed a muscle injury in his right thigh.

"Therefore, the player will not travel with the team to the match against Tunisia in Lille. No other player will be called up to replace him."

Potential return date: Unknown.

Viktor Gyokeres

Viktor Gyokeres suffered a hamstring injury at Burnley on November 1. The Swede missed games against Slavia Prague and Sunderland before the international break and was not included in the Sweden squad for the current international break.

Arteta said before the international break that Arsenal were still waiting to learn the full extent of the injury. The Gunners have big games on the horizon against Tottenham on Sunday, Bayern Munich in the Champions League next Wednesday and then Chelsea on November 30.

Potential return date: Unknown.

Martin Odegaard

Martin Odegaard has not played for the Gunners since he suffered a knee injury against West Ham United on October 4. That followed a frustrating few months in which Odegaard struggled with shoulder issues.

Norway boss Stale Solbakken believes Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is still "some distance away" from his own return.

Potential return date: Unknown.

Riccardo Calafiori

Riccardo Calafiori was forced to cut short his international duty with Italy and return to London. Reports from Italy confirmed the defender departed the Italy camp on Saturday, missing his nation's 2026 World Cup qualifier against Norway on Sunday evening.

He will now return to London, where he will be assessed by Arsenal doctors. Italy boss Gennaro Gattuso had said: "He tried to be available but he can't force now," regarding Calafiori's situation.

Potential return date: Unknown.

Kai Havertz

Kai Havertz has featured for just 30 minutes this season, during Arsenal's campaign opener with Manchester United. During the game, he suffered a knee injury that required minor surgery, with Arteta recently explaining that he will need to be monitored before he's ready to return.

Speaking a few weeks ago about Havertz, Arteta said: "Let’s see how he absorbs the load first when he starts to train with us, and when he’s done that, obviously we’re going to have to, especially in the first few weeks, keep an eye on him to manage the amount of minutes and when we play him."

Potential return date: Early December.

Gabriel Martinelli

Martinelli has missed Arsenal's last four matches as a result of sustaining a knock against Crystal Palace in October, and didn't even make the bench against Sunderland. However, he could be fit to compete once again when the international break is over.

Potential return date: Late November.

Noni Madueke

Despite showing a wealth of potential since making the move from Stamford Bridge, Madueke has missed practically two months of football as a result of a knee injury sustained in September.

Ivan Toney has been linked with a return to the Premier League with Tottenham among the clubs said to be monitoring the striker

Al-Ahli have insisted that star forward Ivan Toney is not available for a move in January. The striker has been linked with several Premier League clubs including Tottenham and Everton.

Despite interest in the England international, the Saudi club's hierarchy seem resolute in their stance against selling Toney. The 29-year-old made the move from Brentford to Al-Ahli 18 months ago and has since been in scintillating form for the Jeddah-based side.

His tally of 23 goals last season saw him finish second only to Cristiano Ronaldo in the league's scoring charts. Despite this only leading to a fifth-place finish domestically, Toney played a crucial role in helping Al-Ahli secure the Asian Champions League title and the Saudi Super Cup. He has already netted five times in the first seven matches of the current campaign.

Whether Toney would be open to a return to England at this point in his career remains to be seen. A move back could potentially boost his chances of international selection ahead of next summer's World Cup.

However, his prolific goal-scoring record has made him an invaluable asset to Al-Ahli as they continue their quest for more silverware.

Over the weekend, Rui Pedro Braz, a representative from Al-Ahli, sought to quash rumours linking Toney with a move away from the club. These rumours have included interest from Spurs, managed by Toney's former boss Thomas Frank, and Leeds United among others.

Sporting director Braz said: "Ivan Toney is a top player, a top striker. The rumours around his possible exit in January are not based on reality. It's just not true. We're counting on him, it makes zero sense to address this subject in November."

Toney found the back of the net 36 times across 83 top-flight outings for Brentford before securing his £40million switch to Al-Ahli in 2024. His finest Premier League season arrived in 2022/23 when he bagged 20 goals in 33 appearances, with only Manchester City's Erling Haaland (36) and Tottenham's Harry Kane (30) surpassing his tally.

He flourished under the management of Frank at Brentford, with the Dane now the current boss at Tottenham. Reflecting on his choice to leave Brentford for the Saudi Pro League, Toney revealed in December 2024: "I came here and the training ground was good, the stadium was nice and the quality in the team was good also. People look at this league differently, but I stepped into it knowing it's still a high standard.

"I wanted something a bit different. It's a different culture, but I can blend in anywhere. I've been at Peterborough, Brentford, now out of the UK. I'm excited to be on this journey. I believe it's the right move at this stage of my career."

Thomas Frank has opened up on his job interviews with Manchester United and Chelsea in the summer of 2024, admitting he was left in awe of the two clubs

Brentford boss Thomas Frank has revealed he held discussions with both Manchester United and Chelsea last spring, before either club made managerial changes. The Danish tactician spoke with representatives from both Premier League giants in May 2024, as they explored potential options for their dugouts.

According to TV2, Frank's morning began with a meeting with Ineos owner Ratcliffe at a London garage, before travelling to the prestigious Mayfair Hotel overlooking Hyde Park for discussions with Chelsea. Ultimately, Frank chose to remain at Brentford for another campaign, whilst United brought in Ruben Amorim following Erik Ten Hag's departure in November, and Chelsea placed their trust in Enzo Maresca.

Speaking to the publication, Frank admitted he was overwhelmed by the opportunity to engage with two of football's biggest institutions. He said: "I know I didn't get either job, but it was still huge.

"I remember walking through Battersea Park between the two interviews and thinking, 'Thomas Frank from f***ing Frederiksværk - am I really experiencing this?'"

Following a modest playing stint with Frederiksværk spanning 1995 to 2004, Frank moved into coaching in 2008, beginning with Denmark's U16 side. He subsequently progressed through the U17 and U19 age groups before departing international football to take charge of Brondby in 2013.

Frank's tenure with the club lasted a mere three years before he stepped down following revelations that the club's chairman, Jan Bech Andersen, had been anonymously criticising him on a fan forum.

This led to a two-year hiatus from football, before he secured a position with Brentford.

At the time a Championship side, Frank guided the team to Premier League status in 2021 by clinching the play-off final with a decisive 2-0 victory over Swansea City.

While many newly-promoted teams have faced relegation in their first year due to struggles adapting to top-tier football, Frank not only maintained Brentford's Premier League status in the subsequent years but transformed the team into genuine mainstays - finishing an impressive 10th last season.

However, the 52-year-old's stint at the Gtech Community Stadium came to an end this summer.

Frank was soon linked with the managerial role at Tottenham following the departure of Ange Postecoglou, and was officially announced as the club's new head coach on June 12.

Despite Spurs ' disappointing 17th-place finish in the Premier League last season under Postecoglou, it seems the club is experiencing a resurgence under Frank's leadership. Currently, the Lilywhites are sitting fifth in the league table after 11 matches, boasting five victories, three draws and three defeats.

They've also maintained an unbeaten streak in Europe, boasting victories over Villarreal and Copenhagen, as well as draws with Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League. Frank and his squad will be keen to continue their momentum when Premier League action resumes next weekend, although a colossal challenge may be on the horizon.

That's because Spurs are set to lock horns with Mikel Arteta's Arsenal on Sunday, 23 November.

The Gunners are currently leading the pack in the league standings, sitting eight points clear of Tottenham and maintaining an unbeaten run in their last eight top flight matches.

Brazil released a statement on Sunday to confirm Arsenal defender Gabriel has suffered a thigh injury

Gabriel Magalhaes is a major doubt for Arsenal’s clash with Tottenham Hotspur next Sunday after it was confirmed he has suffered a thigh injury.

The defender hobbled out of Brazil’s friendly with Senegal at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, sparking fears that he could miss the north London derby.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti confirmed that Gabriel was set for a scan after the match and on Sunday the Brazilian FA released the following statement.

It read: "Arsenal player Gabriel Magalhaes was re-evaluated this Sunday and underwent imaging tests that revealed a muscle injury in his right thigh.

"Therefore, the player will not travel with the team for the match against Tunisia in Lille. No other player will be called up to replace him."

Gabriel has been a crucial part of Arsenal's excellent defensive performances this season. The team are currently four points clear at the top of the Premier League and have only conceded five goals in 11 games.

The Brazilian has formed a formidable partnership with William Saliba in recent years and has become a huge threat from set-pieces too.

If Gabriel is unavailable then the Gunners do have plenty of options as potential replacements. Cristhian Mosquera arrived from Valencia in the summer and deputised for Saliba earlier in the season when he was injured.

Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber can also operate at centre-back, although both have been superb and left- and right-back respectively so far this season. Piero Hincapie is another option after arriving on loan from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, but he is yet to start a Premier League game.

Tottenham have new injury concerns and could be without a number of key players against Arsenal

Tottenham Hotspur’s squad looks set to be crippled by an injury crisis when the players return from international duty this week.

Head coach Thomas Frank will take charge of his first north London derby at the weekend when they visit Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. But he is set to be without a number of key players, with fitness concerns for as many as 13 of the Spurs squad.

The most recent injury fear is Pape Matar Sarr , who was substituted early in the second half during Senegal’s friendly with Brazil on Saturday.

“He got hit and then he didn’t feel well, so as a precaution he preferred to come off, but I don’t think it’s a big deal,” Senegal boss Pape Thiaw said after the game.

Spurs were handed another midfield injury concern earlier in the international break when Lucas Bergvall suffered a setback in his recovery after concussion.

In Tottenham’s last outing against Manchester United both Cristian Romero and Randal Kolo Muani picked up injuries, while Mohammed Kudus missed the 2-2 draw because of a problem picked up the week before.

Archie Gray, Ben Davies and Dominic Solanke were all sidelined before the international break too, while James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin are all out with long-term injuries.

Yves Bissouma and Kota Takai also haven’t featured this season.

It means Frank’s squad will be stretched when the team travel to Arsenal for what promises to be an intriguing game. The Gunners are four points clear at the top of the Premier League, but Spurs have the best away record in the division so far this season.

Frank is still searching for the right balance in Tottenham’s attack, but felt they made “small steps” in last weekend's 2-2 draw with Manchester United.

“We are searching to find the right balance up front and I think when we look at the game back, I think there was positive bits going forward,” Frank reflected.

“We constantly work on the relationship and try to improve it with the players and try to find what is exactly the right blend, but I think there were small steps in the right direction.

(Against United) we wanted two strikers, Kolo Muani and Richarlison, for the crosses, which we thought was an area where we potentially could hurt United.

“I think it worked perfectly with the first one (by Brennan Johnson), where Richarlison got a big chance, so that could have been an unbelievable, fantastic game plan from us.

“So that was part of it and we need different personalities and types for different games.” Frank immediately improved Tottenham’s away form in the league, with impressive early wins over Manchester City, West Ham and Leeds, but arresting a longstanding poor record at home has been more tricky.

With Spurs travelling to the Emirates Stadium to face their fierce rivals next weekend, the manager will be hoping their away form continues.

Djed Spence appeared to ignore Tottenham boss Thomas Frank after Spurs' defeat Chelsea which has left Thomas Tuchel unimpressed

England manager Thomas Tuchel has explained why he was left unimpressed by Djed Spence's behaviour after the Tottenham Hotspur star blanked Thomas Frank.

It was after Spurs were beaten 1-0 by Chelsea in the Premier League earlier this month that Spence left the pitch and appeared to ignore Frank after the final whistle.

The Tottenham defender has been called up by Tuchel for the World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania, but was an unused substitute for the first fixture on Thursday against Serbia.

Tuchel is currently preparing the England squad to face Albania on Sunday evening, and has explained why he was not impressed by Spence's behaviour.

"Yeah, I didn’t like it," Tuchel told the Daily Mail.

"Because the players know they are not only national players when they are the 10 days in camp, they are always national players and the standard of behaviour is always important."

It remains to be seen if Tuchel will name Spence in the starting line-up in Tirana for the World Cup qualifier with Albania, with the Three Lions already having booked their place in next summer's tournament in the United States with a 100 percent record from seven matches.

Spence was alongside Micky van de Ven who also appeared to blank Frank after Tottenham's defeat to Chelsea earlier this month.

Frank provided more insight into what happened behind the scenes, with the Tottenham boss confirming that the pair apologised for their actions.

"Micky and Djed came into my office yesterday, unprompted. And just said: 'Want to say sorry for the situation'," Frank told reporters on November 3 ahead of a Champions League clash against FC Copenhagen.

"They didn’t want it to look bad or disrespectful or all of the kind of perceptions you can get in this beautiful media world. That was not the intention at all towards me or the team or the club.

"They were just frustrated with the performance, the loss and the booing during the game."