Parrott: I've Learned a Lot From Harry
Friday, 12th Feb 2021 11:20

Town loanee Troy Parrott, who looks almost certain to make his third successive start at Shrewsbury tomorrow, believes he has learned from the master in Tottenham and England skipper Harry Kane.

The pair may have only rubbed shoulders briefly in the Premier League but teenager Parrott is full of praise for the encouragement and know-how he has picked up from a player who has already passed the 200-goal mark for Spurs.

Parrott, who is at Portman Road for the remainder of the current campaign, made his Premier League debut when he was only 17, coming off the bench in December 2019 to replace Dele Alli for the closing stages of the 5-0 home win over Burnley, a game in which Kane netted twice.

“I’d be silly not to take stuff from Harry Kane’s game because he is one of the best strikers in the world,” said Parrott. “I look at all the other players as well and try to take little details from them with a view to making myself a better player.

“I’ve learned a lot from Harry, not just about the stuff on the pitch but off the pitch as well, about how to conduct myself and be thoroughly professional. In terms of playing it’s about working hard and looking to achieve consistency in my performances.

“I believe that what you do off the pitch is going to be a massive influence on what you do in games. Preparation for games and how you recover after them is a huge part of it and I don’t think there could be anyone better than Harry to look at and learn from.”

Parrott was playing Sunday league football in Dublin when he was spotted by a Tottenham scout and invited to have a trial. That went well and he was invited to sign for the club, and his current contract at White Hart Lane still has two and a half years to run.

He is a product of the famous Belvedere club in the Irish capital, where a great many players launched their careers, among them ex-Ipswich midfielder Mark Kennedy and former Norwich star Wes Hoolahan, who is still playing in the EFL for League Two leaders Cambridge United at the age of 38.

Parrott underlined his ambition to make the grade with parent club Tottenham, adding: “The end goal is always to make it with Spurs but for now I’m not thinking about that. I’m only thinking about doing well here before I start to think about anything else.

“I’ve come here to do a job for Ipswich and to get the games — and hopefully the goals — that can help them do well.

“I have spoken to Jose Mourinho about what is best for me at this stage of my career. He has helped me and given me his advice and his opinion, plus I’ve also had the advice of my family and other people I trust. It has led me here and I’m looking forward to the second half of the season with Ipswich now.”

Surprisingly for one so highly rated as a striker, Parrott revealed: “When I was a bit younger I used to play as a goalkeeper or a central midfielder. But since I played for the U14s I have been a striker.

“There were a couple of seasons — U15s and U16s — when I was on fire and scored a load of goals. I can’t even remember how many it was in the end.”

Parrott also had praise for ex-Town boss Mick McCarthy. It was McCarthy, during his second spell in charge of his country, who handed Parrott his full international debut in November 2019 in a 3-1 friendly win against New Zealand, and it was a year later that he added a second cap, as a late substitute in the Nations League goalless draw with Bulgaria.

The youngster continued: “When Mick McCarthy gave me my full Ireland debut it meant the world to me. When I was growing up back home I was always watching the Ireland games and dreaming of one day playing for my country. I enjoyed working with Mick and will always be grateful to him for what he did for me.

“He has been around the game a long time and knows everything there is to know. It was interesting to hear his take and he passed on a lot of useful information that will help me in the future.”

Photos: Reuters/Matchday Images

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