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18 year old Tottenham Hotspur striker Troy Parrott joined Championship club Millwall yesterday on a season long loan. The Republic of Ireland international who is from Dublin and attended the O’Connell School, made some some big strides during the 2019/20 season despite not playing that many games. Parrott is one of if not the most exciting prospect to come out of Ireland in recent years, and the young man who has represented the Republic of Ireland at every level from under 15 has risen up the ranks quite remarkably since making his under 18 debut for Spurs in a league game against Swansea City in February 2018. The tall and very physical centre forward who scored a great number of goals for our under 18’s during his first year of scholarship at Spurs (he scored 15 goals in 10 games), has in my opinion improved remarkably in his all round game during the space of the last year. The former Belvedere player has always been a prolific scorer of goals, somebody who is a clinical finisher who scores a variety of goals but is also dangerous in the air, Parrott has improved on his pace, skill, balance, physicality, decision making and finishing since joining Spurs full time in the summer of 2018. The Dubliner looked far too good for under 18, 19 and 23 football during the season just gone (he contributed to at least one goal during all of the games that he played), with it all looking far too easy for him whenever he did play. He also stepped up during the pre-season of the 2019/20 campaign when he made four appearances for Spurs’ first team. He would also go onto make four appearances for Spurs’ first team in competitive competitions, including two in the Premier League as well as making his full Republic of Ireland debut in a friendly against New Zealand. Parrott is far more than just a goalscorer, a creative player who is intelligent and fairly unselfish in his play, the teenager can lay the ball off to teammates to great effect as well as being able to see a pass and hold the ball up effectively.

A great worker off the ball, this loan represents a fantastic opportunity to develop further as a player. To experience regular men’s football is in my opinion imperative in helping young players improve their game as well as prepare for the future at Spurs. Following in the footsteps of great Spurs striker Harry Kane who was also loaned out to Millwall during his youth, Parrott who reportedly turned down a number of interested clubs including Scottish giants Celtic to sign for the ‘ Lions ‘, has joined a fantastic club to develop at. Managed by a manager who plays quite an attractive but structured style of football in Gary Rowett, Millwall often play with only one centre forward up top. Currently Parrott will be competing with Matt Smith, Tom Bradshaw and Jón Dadi Bödvarsson for a starting berth in the Millwall team unless they play with two centre forwards which is something they did do on occasions in the Championship last season. Even if Millwall do stick with playing with one man up top, Parrott is in fact a versatile forward. He has played for Ireland as a CAM/second striker at youth level and even as a a left winger. Millwall only narrowly missed out on the Championship play offs last season, but with the loan signing of Parrott now completed I have a feeling that they will now achieve the play offs next season. Parrott is still very young but he is a mature player for his age and that will help him to adapt to life in the Championship. What will also help him to adapt is the fact that Millwall have a number of Irish players on their books, of which includes fellow Dubliner and veteran Shaun Williams and winger Shane Ferguson who hails from Tamnaherin in County Derry. The Millwall fans will in my opinion really admire Parrott’s work ethic and pressing, along with the feisty and aggressive side of his game. Parrott, who played at the Den for Spurs’ under 18’s in an FA Youth Cup third round tie back in 2018 will hopefully get good service when he does play for Millwall. And with one of the Championship’s most creative players on Millwall’s books in Jed Wallace (he registered 12 assists in the Championship last season), who with his vision and passing ability could link up really well with the young Irishman, especially when he whips crosses into the box.

To conclude I have nothing but positive things to say about this loan move for Troy as it will be so beneficial for his development in the game, and it will also help his chances of making the Republic of Ireland squad for their important European Championships qualifier against Slovakia in October. I would like to wish Troy all the very best of luck for his season at Millwall and I look forward to following his progress at the ‘ Lions ‘. Having watched the vast majority of Troy’s games for Spurs since he made his under 18 debut it has been an absolute pleasure to watch his rapid progression in the game. Hopefully he will be the first of a good number of our academy players to be loaned out this summer.