You don’t have to go back quite as far when it comes to the Europa League proper – Seán Hoare heading home a late consolation for Dundalk against Arsenal at an empty Aviva Stadium in December 2020; how the Lilywhites have fallen since then.
Troy Parrott will aim to update that statistic this evening as he looks set to make his European debut for an in-form AZ Alkmaar, who host Swedish outfit Elfsborg.
The Dubliner bagged 10 Eredivisie goals in 25 appearances for Excelsior last term before netting seven more in the promotion/relegation play-offs. That contribution wasn’t enough to keep them in the top flight but prompted AZ to make a bid – believed to be around €8m – over the summer.
It was accepted and Parrott signed as a direct replacement for Greek striker Vangelis Pavlidis – the Dutch league’s joint-top scorer in 2023/24 departing for Benfica in a deal that could rise to €20m.
Fans at the AFAS Stadium appeared to take to the new arrival almost instantly, handing him an inflatable parrot from the crowd after his home debut – a narrow win over NEC Nijmegen.
However, he didn’t hit the back of the net in his first four matches for De Kaaskoppen (The Cheeseheads) and then had to watch from the bench as an unused substitute as Ireland had familiar goalscoring issues in Nations League losses to England and Greece under new manager Heimir Hallgrimsson.
“When he arrived for pre-season, inside the club they were aware of the fact that Troy wasn’t in the physical condition to be at AZ’s level and to compete against the clubs they are competing against,” explains Dutch football writer Cas Broxterman, who covers AZ for De Telegraaf.
“They wanted to let him improve as soon as possible. I think it speaks volumes that he is someone who has worked hard and who believes in himself.”
“He is always talking with a lot of confidence,” he adds. “You can talk to him like you are doubting his qualities, saying ‘you haven’t scored for four games in a row. Do you worry about it?’
“It’s like he is frustrated by the question because he only thinks that it will be good, it will be fine. There’s no panic, there’s no pressure.”
Returning after the international break, the floodgates opened as Parrott hit four goals in a 9-1 thumping of Heerenveen, who have Robin van Persie at the helm.
“After the game, fans chanted, ‘Parrott’s on fire’ to Freed From Desire,” says Broxterman. “What I wrote is that he was freed from desire at that moment… from wanting to score that one goal, and after that, it was like a ketchup bottle – waiting for it to pop and then it starts to flow.
“But he will still have to prove that because in the last game, he didn’t score. For me, the fans’ favourite is Ibrahim Sadiq.”
Ghanaian winger Sadiq was close to leaving the club due to a lack of opportunities, but since former assistant Maarten Martens was promoted to head coach – initially as caretaker – following the sacking of Pascal Jansen in January, the 24-year-old has shone with four goals and three assists to his namealready this season.
Experienced club captain Bruno Martins Indi has a long-term injury, so former Southampton midfielder Jordy Clasie is the main leader in a youthful side featuring some of the squad that lifted the UEFA Youth League trophy 17 months ago. Ruben van Bommel, son of ex-Netherlands international Mark, is also breaking into the team at 20.
Still unbeaten in the Eredivisie and sitting second behind champions PSV Eindhoven after six matches, AZ now switch focus to the Europa League, with this evening’s meeting at home to Elfsborg one of the more winnable ties. The new league phase hands them a difficult draw, including clashes with Parrott’s former club Tottenham, Athletic Bilbao, Roma and Turkish rivals Fenerbahce and Galatasaray.
As one of a few Irish internationals involved in European football, this is a golden opportunity for the 22-year-old to begin to fulfil his potential on the continental stage. It also sets up a reunion with Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho, who gave him his Premier League debut and subsequently called his attitude into question during their time together at Spurs.
“Troy has shown what he can do against the likes of Heerenveen, but not against the biggest clubs,” says Broxterman. “So now is the time for him, and the whole AZ team, to shine, for the young players to prove what they can do.
“I think he can be a success. He has improved in such a short period and I think when you speak to him, he is always aware of what he is doing, but also of what he is not doing. He can point out what he has to improve on and what he is working on. That’s an important thing in football, so maybe he will prove Mourinho wrong.”
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