From Brendan Crossan in Abbotstown
TROY Parrott’s senior international career has flickered for the last five years – but the in-form AZ Alkmaar striker is hoping it will catch fire after being recalled to the Republic of Ireland squad.
Parrott was left out for last month’s Uefa Nations League defeats to England and Greece – but his good goal-scoring form for the Dutch outfit, sitting third in the Eredivisie, is back and hoping to see some game-time against Finland and Greece over the coming week.
The 22-year-old striker hit four goals in AZ’s 9-1 rout of Robin van Persie’s Heerenveen side in the middle of last month and added another goal to his tally in a 2-1 defeat by FC Utrecht.
With Ireland struggling to hit a barn door in this calendar year, it was no surprise Heimir Hallgrimsson called up Parrott for the latest instalment of Nations League games.
The Irish have failed to score in five out of six international games in 2024 but managed two goals against Hungary in a June friendly, with Parrott popping up with a stoppage-time winner in Dublin – his fifth goal for his country.
Callum Robinson has made way for Parrott’s return as the Irish aim to put some points on the board in the Nations League.
The Dubliner, who was one of Stephen Kenny’s U21 prodigies, admitted to being disappointed after being overlooked for the England and Greece home games last month.
“As a player you always want to play,” he said. “Obviously, I’ve had some good moments for Ireland as well so to not play and not get a chance to show myself was disappointing. It’s not something I’m going to sit around and cry about. We’re here now, it’s a new camp, we have to see what happens.”
Parrott didn’t discuss last month’s omission with the new manager.
“No, I am not really the type to ask a lot of questions. If he’s made that decision, that is his decision, it’s gone, and I can’t change what’s happened. Although I want to play, it is what it is. I hope I can get some minutes this time.”
Parrott endured a difficult time at Tottenham Hotspur during Jose Mourinho’s reign with the Portuguese questioning the young striker’s attitude when playing for the club’s U23s.
He was farmed out to five different clubs between 2020 and 2024 – Millwall, Ipswich, Milton Keynes, Preston NE and Dutch side Excelsior – before landing a permanent move to AZ.
Speaking to the Irish media earlier this week, Parrott acknowledged he struggled at times with the pressure of living up to his early promise.
“It was never going to happen that early because football isn’t so easy,” he said. “For me it was more about growing up a bit and trying to block out the noise.
“It [the hype] was a lot from the media. not a lot of people around me. I knew that I had talent, how good I was I didn’t know. I didn’t get many games to try to show that, but it was a lot to do with media.”
Moving abroad has been one of the best footballing decisions he’s made in his career.
“I was younger, I’ll tell the truth, it 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, it’s just a new experience for me I’m really enjoying. For me to be enjoying my football is the most important thing. It is one of the reasons why I have managed to do well up to now.
“It suited me a lot to move away and play somewhere else. There could be a young Irish lad who goes to the UK and does really well straight away. It’s different for everyone. If someone asked me, I would say it has been a good experience and would advise them to go.
“Just the style of football is different. I played a lot in the Championship, a bit in League One, the style of football in the Netherlands is different to the Championship and I think it suits me more in Holland.”
The experience of playing in the Europa League this season is another high-level competition that can only improve Parrott as he tries to nail down a starting position in Hallgrimsson’s team.
Earlier this month, he led AZ’s attack against Athletic Bilbao in front of 40,000 fans at the San Mames Stadium - which ended in a 2-0 defeat.
“Club-wise, it was the biggest game so far,” Parrott, who started out playing for Dublin youth side Belvedere.
“That’s why I wanted to move away and play in those type of games, to get that experience and test myself at that level.”
While Ireland are probably staring at relegation in the Nations League, Parrott isn’t convinced.
“What’s needed in this window are results. We need to start picking up points. It’s far from finished. We’ve lost two games - but it’s not done. We’ve still four games left. For sure, we need to start picking up results and getting some points on the board.”