Have Tottenham already lost their dream Harry Kane successor? | OneFootball

Spurs fans increasingly fear that next great striker may have left the club

Troy Parrott continued his excellent start to the season with the opening goal in the Republic of Ireland’s 1-1 draw with Israel on Sunday.

By netting from the penalty spot in Serbia, the former Tottenham striker made it four goals in three games for Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side and 10 in his last seven competitive internationals.

The Real Betis forward, who drew adulation for his sublime solo goal against Austria last week, has not had a straightforward journey to the top but is now beginning to prove that he has what it takes to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Robbie Keane and John Aldridge as Ireland’s leading man.

Parrott came through the ranks at Tottenham, was handed his senior debut by Mauricio Pochettino, and later his Premier League debut under Jose Mourinho.

Opportunities, though, were few and far between. Parrott eventually left England for Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in 2024 in an effort to take ownership of a career that had slowly begun to drift after a succession of unsuccessful loan spells in the lower tiers.

Parrott bet big on his ability, and it paid off as he scored 51 goals in 97 appearances for AZ before making the move to Real Betis this summer.

The 24-year-old is flourishing, described by Hallgrimsson as having a “special gift” in front of goal, and it has left some Spurs fans wondering if Parrott is the one that got away.

Spurs have struggled - granted, many clubs would - to replace the enormous impact of their record goalscorer and Ballon d’Or favourite Harry Kane since he left for Bayern Munich in 2023.

The England captain, who netted 61 times across all competitions last season, has gone from strength to strength while Spurs have continued to lose goals from their team, with Heung-min Son and 2024/25 top scorer Brennan Johnson also leaving north London.

While there will be a tinge of regret in letting Parrott leave, hindsight is a wonderful thing

It is hard to see how Parrott would not make an impact for a Spurs side that has scored just two goals in their opening five league games this season.

However, a return to England was on the cards for Parrott this summer in the form of a proposed move to West Ham. Yet he turned it down, opting instead to test himself in Spain’s top-flight.

His highlights so far include a late winner against Real Madrid and the goal that sealed Betis’ 3-2 victory over Lille in their first Champions League game for 21 years.

Parrott is clearly enjoying life abroad and will feel vindicated by the fact that fellow Spurs academy strikers Dane Scarlett and Will Lankshear also decided to seek pastures new over the summer.

Hot start: Will Lankshear has already scored eight goals for Middlesbrough this season

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While there will perhaps be a tinge of regret in letting Parrott leave, hindsight is a wonderful thing, and there is no telling whether his sharp penalty-box instincts and off-the-ball movement would have translated to an increasingly physical Premier League.

It is Lankshear’s development that Spurs will be keeping a closer eye on, with the 21-year-old scoring eight goals in 11 appearances across all competitions for Middlesbrough since completing a move in July that could rise as high as £20million.

Noted for his physicality, Lankshear is in the mould of a modern Premier League striker, and Spurs hedged their bets by including matching rights and a 20 per cent sell-on clause in the deal that took him to the Riverside Stadium.

It is clear that Spurs, while trying to maximise player sales out of their academy, still have one eye on Lankshear and could look to bring him back to the club if he continues in the rich vein of form that has Middlesbrough in contention for promotion to the Premier League.

Parrott may have been the original Kane succession plan, but it is currently Lankshear that looks best placed to step out of the former Spurs captain’s shadow.