Jim Crawford: Troy Parrott will hit the heights he deserves
2020: Republic of Ireland under-21 manager Jim Crawford and Troy Parrott. Pic: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
Republic of Ireland under-21 boss Jim Crawford has backed in-form Troy Parrott to "hit the heights he deserves" on the back of a heroic week in Real Betis colours.
24-year-old Parrott has enjoyed a very promising start to his Betis career, grabbing the winner in the La Liga victory over Real Madrid last Friday, before turning hero once more on Tuesday night when notching his first Champions League goal in the win over Lille.
For his old under-21 boss Crawford, Parrott's mental strength in coming through adversity has played a massive role in him getting to where he is today.
From Spurs to Spain via various English loan spells and those breakout years in Holland, it hasn't been linear or easy.
“Troy Parrott's journey hasn't been linear, that's for sure," Crawford said. "You know he's gone to Millwall, he's gone to Preston, he was at Ipswich, but I think what we found with Troy in his journey is how mentally strong the player is.
"He’s had so many sort of bumps on his journey, and to see him now scoring goals at Champions League level with Real Betis is a massive pat on the back for Troy, because he's just shown how strong he is.
"We all knew he was technically an excellent player; we all knew he could score goals, but it is the way he reacted in those moments of adversity where things weren't happening for him at club level.
"Weaker players would have gone down on that and said: ‘Oh, it's not for me this but he just kept at it.'"
Crawford has watched his journey from Ireland under-21 prodigy to senior international, to hat-trick hero in Budapest last November, to now shining on the biggest stage in European club football.
Speaking of Parrott's humility and unerring eagerness to represent his country, no matter the age-group (contrary to comments made by José Mourinho in 2019), Crawford said: “He's a humble individual, that's for sure. He wants to get better and he will reach his ceiling, and those characteristics: his desire, his drive, his willingness to get better, always putting his hand up to come and represent this country.
"They're little things that you see, that quite a lot of players don't have.
"A lot of players have his talent, but if it comes to an opportunity of missing a camp here and there, whether it's a June camp or otherwise, I've seen players saying: 'No, you know, I want to have my break,' but they're the players that ultimately don't reach their ceiling.
"With Troy, from day one you understood what it means for him to be a professional footballer, what it means for him to reach a ceiling, what it means for him to put on that green jersey you always knew that he'll go and hit the heights he deserves.”
While Crawford gears up to prepare his current crop of under-21s for a do-or-die Euro Qualification window where they face a trip to Slovakia before hosting Kazakhstan and England at Turner's Cross in Cork, how much of a template has the Betis man provided for young Irish strikers?
"He's an inspiration for all those young strikers, for players at 21s level. They’ve got to realise that it's always difficult in that first loan into men's football. I've seen it hurt certain players and it's taken a while to get over, but Troy has that steeliness about him.
"With every player, if they wake up every morning and ask the question: ‘How can I become a better player?’
"That'd be a big help to them.
"In terms of a template, you could say he’s set that, but I think it all boils down to how strong a character he is and having that belief in his ability has got him through those rough periods and taken him to where he is now.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
