When Troy Parrott arrived for international duty with the Republic of Ireland last Monday, little did he know that six days later, he would have catapulted his country to the World Cup play-offs.
First, there was an impressive 2-0 win against Portugal. Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed the headlines for his red card, but it was Parrott’s name being sung by the Ireland supporters after he scored both goals.
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The AZ Alkmaar striker was the hero again for Ireland on Sunday against Hungary. He equalised twice at the Puskas Arena, before a dramatic 96th-minute winner saw his team win 3-2 – a night he says will never be bettered.
Dublin Airport even changed their name to the ‘Troy Parrott International Airport’ on social media in a celebratory, tongue-in-cheek nod to the 23-year-old’s heroics.
Two vital games. Five goals. Parrott has had a huge say keeping his country’s hopes alive of a first appearance at the World Cup since 2022.
For fans of AZ or the Eredivisie, it is perhaps no surprise. For others, the striker is often thought of as the Tottenham youngster who never quite hit the heights he was earmarked for.
But his career proves that the prospect of success does not end if you take a chance and leave the big Premier League club. In fact, it might lead one of the best moments of your life.
Beginnings at Spurs
After beginning his career with Belvedere in his native Dublin, Parrott joined Spurs’ youth ranks in the summer of 2017 at the age of 15.
Two years later, he signed a professional deal and began training with the first-team squad. He made his senior debut in a Carabao Cup loss to Colchester in September 2019.
Some had compared him to Robbie Keane in his early career, while Parrott trained alongside Harry Kane in the same position. It restricted his opportunities and minutes, despite there being times when he was the only fit striker in the squad.
Despite making his Premier League debut against Burnley in December 2019, he would make just one more substitute appearance in the competition for Tottenham under Jose Mourinho.
Then came the well-trodden EFL loan track.
Stuttering EFL loans – but success in the Netherlands
Parrott had five loans in his time at Tottenham, four of them in England. His first to Millwall in August 2020 was hampered by injury, and it was curtailed when he was recalled in January with just 14 appearances and no goals.
A few weeks later Parrott joined Ipswich, who were then in League One, scoring twice in 18 appearances.
Next came season-long spells at MK Dons (2021/22) and Preston (2022/23). The former saw Parrott help the Dons to the play-offs, scoring in the semi-final second leg against Wycombe, but the club were beaten 2-1 on aggregate.
But with another underwhelming loan at Preston, the next move had to be a big one. Speaking to Sky Sports in October 2024, Parrott said: “There have been seasons that I have had before where I have not enjoyed it too much” – referencing his time on loan in the EFL.
It was time for Parrott look away from England, landing at Excelsior in the Eredivisie. Moving to the Netherlands proved to be the making of the young striker.
“The most important thing was to start enjoying football again without any pressure on it,” the 23-year-old told Sky Sports. “Not telling myself I need to do this, I need to do that. I know the talent I have so if I am feeling good in myself and happy then that is always going to show itself on the pitch.
“But it was a big step because I did not have any idea what to expect when I first came over. Moving from Ireland to England is one thing but to move somewhere where they speak a different language, a different culture, it was always going to be a challenge.”
He scored 17 goals for Excelsior in all competitions, with 10 of those coming in the league. Despite hat-tricks in both the semis and final of the two-legged Eredivisie play-offs – each scored at home – Parrott could not stop the club from being relegated.
Despite the disappointing end to the season, Parrott was finally showing the potential many had laid upon his head since he was a teenager at Spurs.
Speaking on his Excelsior loan, he said: “The thing that helped me the most was that I realised I was a striker who needed to be in the box. On a couple of the loans that I had, I tried to show my ability to come deep and link play. A lot of the time, I was too far away from the goal to score.
“I worked a lot with the coach at Excelsior on just being in the box, being there when the ball is getting crossed. I think for me that was the biggest thing, just drilling it into my own head that ultimately you’re a striker and you need to be in the box to score goals.”
Flourishing at AZ Alkmaar
Having found a home in the Netherlands, Parrott made a permanent move from Spurs to AZ Alkmaar in the summer of 2024 for a reported fee of £6.7m.
Reflecting on his time at Tottenham a few months later, he added to Sky Sports: “No, I don’t think I have any regrets. I am grateful for how the club treated me, helping me to grow up as a person and a player.
“Those expectations are hard for any young player. I’m speaking like I am old, I’m still young now! It is just the experience I had, being out on all the loans and stuff, is more than what I should have at this age. But it is something a lot of young players go through.
“I believe for me I’ve learned to just put that to the side. It does more harm than it does good. Just to block all that out. I am happy now, being able to showcase what I can do week in and week out at a big team playing in Europe. It is what I wanted when I moved here.”
Parrott has kept up his standards with AZ. Last season, he scored 14 goals in 30 Eredivisie games – the league’s third highest scorer. One of the highlights was four goals against Heerenveen in a 9-1 win in September 2024.
His form continued into the 2025/26 campaign, with 10 goals in seven games across all competitions, but found himself halted by a knee injury at the end of August. He has scored three more league goals since his return, with AZ four points ahead of Ajax in the Eredivisie table.
Such is his form, a return to the Premier League has been mooted in some areas, although he is contracted to AZ until 2029. Those transfer links will only have increased after his star turn in November’s qualifiers.
More good times to come for Parrott and Ireland?
In just two games this month, Parrott has doubled his international goals tally. Before stepping out against Portugal, he had scored five goals in 31 caps and only once since 2022.
While he remains a regular call-up for the Republic of Ireland, he has been guilty of squandering chances with some of his good club form not quite translating to his country.
Now, it appears the two have began to merge, and Ireland will need more of the same as they navigate a huge few months at the start of 2026.
Parrott rightly said he struggles to see how the night in Hungary can be bettered, but there are still the play-offs to come and maybe even a first World Cup. The good times can roll even further.
Given the momentum and confidence both Parrott and Ireland have after this international break, it would be hard to deny them more nights like Sunday.
