From schoolboy hat-trick to Hungary heroics — how Troy Parrott became Ireland’s clutch striker
Troy Parrott and his O'Connell's school team mates celebrate their 2015 All Ireland First Year Boys ‘B’ Cup extra time win over Seamount College of Kinvara in Tullamore.
THE Puskás Aréna, Budapest. 79 minutes on the clock: Hungary 2 Ireland 1.
The home fans are in raptures, just seconds away from securing a place in the World Cup 2026 playoffs, with visions of their nation reaching a World Cup finals tournament for the first time since 1986.
Then, Troy Parrott, having already bagged a brace in Ireland’s 2-0 victory over Portugal, pops up to score his second of the night and level the tie with less than 10 minutes remaining … the rest, as we know, is history.
While the nation was given a glimpse into Ireland’s potential future on the biggest of stages, for Parrott himself, it was nothing new. He’s been doing this since he was 13.
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“Anyone who can score has a chance, and he had a chance. It was quite obvious he had the potential to make it to the level he has. He also loved his street football, always playing at lunchtime, before and after school, he never stopped playing.”
In 2015, O’Connell Secondary School in Drumcondra reached the All Ireland First Year Boys ‘B’ Cup final, where they were drawn to face Seamount College of Kinvara in South Galway.
Having gone 2-0 down heading into the final 10 minutes in Tullamore, captain Troy Parrott was moved from midfield to striker for O’Connells, scoring a brace to send the game into extra-time before completing his hat-trick to turn the game on its head and help his side earn a dramatic 3-2 victory.
Colm O’Connell was coach of O’Connell’s on that day, and he still remembers the first time he saw Parrott turn out for the school team in his first year at secondary level.
“He could always find a yard of space, always seemed to be in space. When he got the ball, he didn’t run for the sake of running. It was his vision, his off-the-ball movement ... he made it look easy. He could also get past a player, not everyone can do that ... we moved him up front to get back in the game , and I think he was pretty much, for those 20 minutes, unmarkable.”
Eoghan Hanley and Tom Brennan both lined out in the Seamount back line that day, helping their side go 2-0 up before falling at the feet of Parrott.
Hanley says they had gotten wind of a talented player on the opposition team prior to the final, and how they set about neutralising Parrott going into the game.
“Our coach, Ms Creaven, whenever she found out who we were playing next, she’d try to find out from their last opponent who were their best players, their strengths etc. We heard they had a lad in midfield who was very good, so we put two players on him, and that worked well for about 70 minutes as we were 2-0 up. Then they moved him up front and well, yeah, we know what happened then.”
Brennan played right-back for Seamount in Tullamore, and remembers the moment that Troy was moved up front by the O’Connell sideline which ultimately changed the game and caused havoc for the Kinvara side’s back line.
“I was having a good game for most of it, then he got moved up front and everything changed. They got a throw-in on my side, I remember marking him tight on the line, then the ball gets thrown over my head, he spins me and scores straight away. I was just like, who is this guy? Myself and the centre-back had a tough time with him then.”
Looking back on that final and everything Parrott has achieved since, it’s clear that it wasn’t just his footballing ability alone that has seen him go on to succeed at the highest levels of club and international football.
O’Connell cites Parrott’s attitude, mentality, and leadership as also being huge determining factors not only in helping his school team win trophies during his time in Drumcondra, but also paving the way for a big move abroad following his development at schoolboy level.
“He always turned out for the school, regardless of what was going on. He had an international trial on a Saturday, and he was told not to play or anything that week, he came out for the school and went in goal, he was so keen to play.
“He had a great attitude, and he was very encouraging to players, never giving out, always very positive, a team player in every aspect. Even when we were 2-0 down, he was encouraging the lads ... it meant a lot to him to win with the school and with his schoolmates.”
Brennan also echoes how Parrott’s fitness, drive, and mentality made him near impossible to deal with in Tullamore in 2015 and how, despite losing on the day, he still speaks with pride on how well they played in the final and his memories of marking Ireland’s striking sensation when they were both schoolchildren.
“His speed and his fitness were our biggest problem. He played centre-mid for 70 minutes, then got moved up and still had loads in the tank to run our back four silly and bang in a hat-trick.
“There was no stopping him. When he scored that hat-trick against Hungary, I made sure to tell everyone in work that I marked him, they tell me I never shut up about it. But it’s class watching him scoring for Ireland on TV. I suppose it’s not the worst to look back and think we should have won, but it was Troy Parrott who beat us — so it could be worse.”
It wasn’t long before Parrott was catching the attention not only of clubs in Ireland, but overseas as well. Martin McGuigan worked as a scout in Ireland, and was one of the first to recommend him to Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. Now a scout for Luton Town, McGuigan recounts his earliest memories of watching Parrott and how he was certain the Belvedere striker would go on to play at the highest level.
“I first saw Troy playing at Belvedere’s home ground, then in the Dublin District Schoolboys League, and after that in the Kennedy Cup. One thing that stood out from the first day at Belvedere, he always got in the right place and scored goals. When you have that, you can go anywhere. I knew then this kid had potential. When a kid was special, I always included at the end of my report — recommend signing, I’m telling you sign this kid.”
Parrott joined Tottenham in July 2017, and signed his first professional contract on his 17th birthday in February 2019.
He made his professional debut later that year in a League Cup game under then manager Mauricio Pochettino, before being handed his Premier League debut in a 5-0 win against Burnley by José Mourinho.
McGuigan recalls how Tottenham moved quickly to sign Parrott with a number of big clubs actively pursuing his signature, and just how highly rated he was by the Spurs academy and coaching staff.
“Sometimes, clubs don’t move quick enough. I think Chelsea looked at him, Everton as well, Southampton, Celtic. But it was Tottenham who moved quickly. John McDermott was head of the academy there at the time. They brought him over to a tournament in Belgium and he was outstanding. He joined the U18s, then moved up to the 21s. Before long, he was training with the first team.”
Despite being frequently involved with the senior side under multiple managers, Parrott found first team opportunities limited — not aided by the fact that his main competitor at the time was Harry Kane.
After multiple loan spells, Parrott made a permanent move to Eredivisie club AZ Alkmaar in 2024 and, since moving to the Netherlands, has refound his form and is playing some of his best football for both club and country.
McGuigan, habitually observing Troy from his home in Newry says: “They rated him highly at Spurs, maybe he didn’t get the time or the opportunities, then when the manager changes, things change. Now he’s found a good spot with AZ Alkmaar, and he’s knocking the goals in, enjoying his football.
"There’s already talks of a return to the Premier League, but I wouldn't say there’s any rush when things are going well. He’ll have plenty of options, he’s still only 24. The main thing is he is playing well for his club and for Ireland, banging in the goals and enjoying it.”
Parrott will carry the hopes and dreams of a nation to Prague but, as his former school team coach reflects, those who saw and knew him first will watch with pride knowing that same football-obsessed 13-year-old from Sheriff St went on to fulfil his own hopes and dreams as a kid.
“In reality, I played a tiny part,” O’Connell reflects, “but so did the guy who coached him under six at Belvedere, someone else after that. Everyone plays a small little part ... but it’s great to see someone from the school achieve something.
"Now, he’s a role model for all our young students. They all want to be the next Troy Parrott so we say they have to train as hard as him, work as hard as he did. It’s a great feeling.”
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