'I was trying to live up to the hype': Ireland's Troy Parrott on handling ...

Everywhere Parrott tread he was an heir. For Tottenham Hotspur, he was the next Harry Kane. The comparisons with Robbie Keane flowed within the Ireland set-up.

All the while the Dubliner was 17, growing up in London under the tutelage of Jose Mourinho and the glare of Irish and Spurs fans.

The scramble for the next big thing when Ireland’s search for a striker became so acute always seemed to angle towards Parrott. His mythical first name compounded the attachment to royalty.

“There was quite a lot of pressure put on,” he reflects. “I was trying to live up to the hype at such a young age but it was never going to happen that early because football is never so easy. 

For me, it was more about growing up a bit and trying to block out the noise. 

The situation required that difficult step back to advance. Debuts at 17 for Tottenham and Ireland are no guarantee of future certainty.

Loans spells in England varied in fortunes and it all changed for the better once he decided to go Dutch.

His 17 goals and five assists for a struggling Excelsior side last season brought him to the attention of bigger outfits and, as Ange Postecoglou didn’t see the 22-year-old in his plans, Spurs were open to a deal.

AZ Alkmaar tabled a proposal which enticed both he and his employers — Spurs banking £6m and Parrott staying in the Netherlands on a five-year deal. They were an Eredivisie staple too, with Europa League participation an attraction.

That goalscoring streak from last season has continued, for he’s averaged more than a goal in every second game so far. Four of his five in the league came in one match against Robin van Persie’s Heerenveen and there was the winner in the European clash with Elfsborg.

Parrott’s most precious moment didn’t entail scoring. 40,328 fans streamed into San Mamés for their trip to Atletico Bilbao.

“Club wise it was the biggest game so far,” he confessed. “That's why I wanted to move away — play in those types of games, get that experience and test myself at that level.

“I can’t really ask for much more, to be playing away in Spain on a Thursday night is tops.

“For me to be enjoying my football is the most important thing.

“When I was younger, to tell the truth, pressure used to get to me a bit but now I am older, I have played more games, I have been in England and the Netherlands and am experiencing new things. So being away, it’s not necessarily being out of the spotlight.” 

He’s been in it so long that Parrott is one of the few players in the current squad around when Ireland used to compete for qualification. He was on the bench against Denmark the 2019 night Mick McCarthy’s side came within a goal of qualifying for the Euros.

Since then, there’s been covid-19 and a series of campaigns where early defeats removed Ireland prematurely from the tournament reckoning.

“It’s been a difficult couple of campaigns for us in terms of results and quality of group opponents,” he reasoned.

The last group was Netherlands and France, world-class countries. France have won the World Cup and got to the last final. They were difficult games.

“It’s on us to try to turn it around and start picking up results more regularly to get back to where we want to be.” 

Asked if Ireland has yet to see the best of the last player to score for Ireland — the late winner against Hungary in June — Parrott was emphatic.

“Me, personally? No, I don’t think so. I’ve had some good moments in the Ireland shirt to date.

“I want to keep improving in Holland. I’m not the finished article. I need to keep getting better and learn more stuff. To answer the question, no, you’ve not seen the best of me.” 

Spurs may yet see it too on October 24 in the Europa League when he returns to Tottenham.

He says with a broad smile: “I was watching the draw and had a feeling it would happen. I can’t wait for that one.”