Troy Parrott has emerged as the hero of the Republic of Ireland's World Cup qualification campaign, scoring a dramatic hat-trick against Hungary to secure a 3-2 comeback win in Budapest and a play-off spot in March. The 24-year-old also netted twice in a 2-0 victory over Portugal three days earlier, propelling Ireland towards the 2026 tournament.
Reflecting on his match-winning goal, Parrott described the mental focus required: 'It's more of a mental thing. It's just getting in the box and hoping that the ball is going to fall.' He admitted he no longer replays the goal frequently, but when he does, he stops the footage before the restart, fearing Hungary might have scored.
Parrott's career has taken a distinctive path after leaving Tottenham Hotspur. Following loans in the EFL, he moved to the Dutch Eredivisie in 2023, first with Excelsior and then AZ Alkmaar. His scoring rate has improved from one in two to two in three, which he calls 'probably the best spell of my career'.
The striker acknowledged the early hype as 'the next Robbie Keane' was unhelpful. 'When I was 17 or 18, I probably thought I had all the answers, but I hadn't a clue,' he said. He credited former Spurs manager Jose Mourinho for guidance, using Harry Kane as a reference. 'He made time to try to develop me, which positions to be in, using Harry Kane as a guide.'
Parrott remains focused on building on his success: 'That's not going to be my career... I want to have more big moments like that, hopefully starting in March.'
