A blend of Keane and Kane: Ireland’s new hero sparks World Cup hopes | OneFootball

Not only did Troy Parrott deliver magic on the pitch in Budapest, he also somehow managed to sum it all up perfectly when he poured his heart out in an interview with 'RTÉ' right after the thriller against Hungary. 

He apologized for his tears. "These are tears of joy," he said. "My family is here, this is the first time in years that I have cried. I love my country, that's why all of this means so incredibly much to me."

His interviews after the games against Portugal and Hungary probably received just as much attention as his performances. The raw emotion he showed, and how much it all meant to him, were unmistakable.

Within four days, Parrott first fired the Irish into the World Cup playoffs almost single-handedly, with a brace against Portugal and then a hat-trick in Hungary. The last time Ireland took part in a World Cup was 23 years ago. That same year, Parrott was born. 

Now, he is the personification of Ireland's hope to finally participate in a World Cup again. Just a few years ago, this would have been unthinkable. 

Of Ireland's group of young strikers, Parrott was the one who had most faded from memory since his debut six years ago. Most of the expectations rested on the shoulders of Evan Ferguson, while backup striker Adam Idah only occasionally received attention—but still more often than Parrott. 

He was actually supposed to be the next Robbie Keane and lead the Boys in Green back to success. He still can, but the road there has been extremely rocky.

The challenges the young striker had to face since Tottenham Hotspur let him go in 2024 were immense. He had spent six years in the Spurs' youth system, at times even alongside Harry Kane, from whom he says he learned a lot.

Six loan spells in four years, however, were anything but perfect conditions for steady development. On top of that, injuries repeatedly set him back. Many young players who went down the same path slipped further down the career ladder and eventually disappeared from professional football altogether.

Parrott, however, revived his career by moving to the Netherlands—even though it would have been much easier to just get by in the lower English leagues. Instead, he was brave enough to leave his comfort zone and try something new.

First at Excelsior in the 2023/2024 season, where he began to rediscover his goal-scoring instinct, his confidence, and his leadership role. Later at AZ Alkmaar, where he finally reached the level many had seen in him years before. As an AZ player, Parrott is experiencing the best phase of his career so far in 2025. In just 14 matches, he has scored 13 goals—six in the Eredivisie and seven in the Europa Conference League. That makes him one of the most productive strikers in the Netherlands.

Still: Had Ferguson been fit for the games against Portugal and Hungary, Parrott would most likely have been on the bench. But upon his return from yet another injury—while Ferguson himself was sidelined—a chance presented itself. And how he took it: five goals in two games, including a last-minute goal for the ages.

After the coup against Portugal, he already spoke in superlatives about "probably the best night of his career," only to top it all 72 hours later. "I don't think I'll ever have a better night in my life. It's a fairy tale. You couldn't even dream of something like this," Parrott told 'RTÉ'.

For this fairy tale to have a happy ending, Ireland now needs to take the final step in the World Cup playoffs. It's a hurdle they have failed to clear in the most heartbreaking way twice in the past two decades. But with a confident Parrott, the Boys in Green seem ready this time for the next chapter of success. 

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

📸 ATTILA KISBENEDEK - AFP or licensors