Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Behind the Lines Sportswriters discuss their careers and the work that inspires them. Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Troy Parrott pictured before tonight's game.Alamy Stock Photo talking point Why Troy Parrott should become a trailblazer for Irish footballers Despite disappointment against Tottenham tonight, the Dubliner can reflect on a stellar season. 11.06pm, 13 Mar 2025 Share options Paul Fennessy TROY PARROTT may have largely cut an isolated figure and ended up on the losing side against Tottenham tonight, but he can still reflect on a stellar season. The 23-year-old could not add to his goal tally and missed one decent chance in the dying minutes but has registered 17 goals from 40 appearances in all competitions for AZ. The Dubliner has picked up where he left off last year when he scored 17 times in 32 appearances while on loan at Excelsior. The initial move to the Netherlands from Spurs would not have been a straightforward decision. Parrott had to adapt to a new language and different footballing culture, far away from friends and family. But the move has undoubtedly paid off as he is playing the best football of his career and competing at a relatively high level — there can’t be many examples of Irish players competing in bigger or more high-quality games this year than this evening’s Europa League round-of-16 clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. In addition to their impressive European run, AZ have made it to the Dutch Cup final on 21 April against Go Ahead Eagles. They have also had a decent season in the league, sitting sixth in the Eredivisie table after 24 games. The concept of Irish footballers featuring beyond the traditional strongholds of the Premier Division and Britain is more normalised than ever. Because youngsters can no longer move to the UK until they turn 18, some have chosen to go abroad elsewhere rather than stick with League of Ireland clubs. The likes of Benfica’s Jaden Umeh, Frosinone’s Justin Ferizaj and Hoffenheim’s Matthew Moore are no longer seen as stark anomalies as they might have been 10 or 20 years ago. Advertisement Yet these individuals are still the exception rather than the rule. The Ireland U21 squad named today featured only one player plying their trade away from the UK and the Premier Division – Stade Brestois goalkeeper Noah Jauny. Similarly, the senior squad had only two non-UK-and-Ireland-based players — Parrott and Gavin Bazunu, who is spending half a season on loan in Belgium at Standard Liége, as the Southampton goalkeeper continues his recuperation from a long-term injury. But perhaps Parrott’s success in particular will encourage others to follow suit. It would be fair to say that most Irish youngsters dream of playing in the Premier League, which is widely agreed to be the best domestic competition in the world. Yet the chances of being good enough to play for English giants Liverpool or Man City are minimal, as they are essentially competing with the best young players across the globe. Regardless, there has been no shortage of Irish youngsters moving to top Premier League clubs in recent years. These players are invariably encouraged to play a highly technical style of football in the often vain hope that they will eventually break through at Premier League level. The majority don’t make it. Some move back to the League of Ireland or quit the sport entirely. Perhaps the most common outcome is that they join a lower-level English club, in either the Championship, League One or League Two. This decision sometimes works but can be detrimental to a player’s development. The issue is that the highly technical style they have been accustomed to is not pervasive in League One or Two. It is a different, far more physical type of football that life in an academy has not adequately prepared them for. Parrott is arguably a case in point. His two seasons in the Netherlands have been far more fruitful than previous seasons slogging it out in English football. Cristian Romero of Tottenham Hotspur shouting at Troy Parrott of AZ Alkmaar.Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo The ex-Spurs youngster, who made just two Premier League appearances in seven years at the North London club, registered 0 goals in 11 Championship appearances with Millwall, two goals in 18 League One appearances at Ipswich Town, eight goals in 41 League One appearances with MK Dons and three goals in 32 Championship appearances for Preston. Even the player Parrott was sometimes fancifully compared to at Tottenham, Harry Kane, had a difficult time on loan before making the breakthrough at Spurs. Kane scored five goals in 18 League One appearances at Leyton Orient, seven goals in 22 Championship appearances for Millwall, 0 goals in three Premier League appearances for Norwich City and two goals in 13 Championship appearances at Leicester. Fortunately, it eventually worked out okay for Kane and Parrott, but young players who don’t thrive in the lower leagues are often prematurely written off. Promising Irish footballers who move beyond the UK, ideally to another of Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues, would surely have a better chance of excelling long term. Not only would the switch benefit these individuals as people and force them to mature quickly by immersing themselves in such a different environment, but they would also be more likely to encounter a slower, more technical and less physical style of football akin to how they have been routinely playing in the academies. Paul Fennessy Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Why Troy Parrott should become a trailblazer for Irish footballers”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Why Troy Parrott should become a trailblazer for Irish footballers”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. Inappropriate language Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or slurs. Advertising, phishing, scamming, bots, or repetitive posts. Please provide additional information Thank you for the feedback Your feedback has been sent to our team for review. Leave a commentcancel Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion UEFA Europa League talking point Ireland Republic Tottenham Hotspur Troy Parrott €30 million man stars for Spurs, Chelsea and Rangers advance 18 mins ago FAI Disconnect Hallgrimsson's calm diplomacy badly needed at Irish football's time of mass disconnect 19 mins ago Freeas it stands Rory McIlroy one shot off lead at Players Championship 26 mins ago Freemarching on Fernandes hat-trick fires Man United into Europa League quarter-finals Sisters Lisa and Aoife O'Rourke secure at least bronze medals at World Boxing Championships Returning big guns make this a stronger Irish 23 for Rome trip Murray Kinsella As Kerry struggle to evolve, the load on David Clifford is cranked up more and more Opportunity Crowley starts as Ireland make six changes for Italy clash 'It creates a bit of a sh*tstorm where people are getting abuse' Ireland are 'confident' that Jack Crowley will stay in Irish rugby Hallgrimsson rings changes with Republic of Ireland squad for Nations League play-off more from us Investigates Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online Sign in or create a free account To continue reading create a free account Or sign into an existing account