Poch clearly rates him.
Troy Parrott travelled with Tottenham Hotspur’s first-team on Saturday for their Premier League game against Leicester City.
The 16-year-old Dubliner, who has excelled for Tottenham’s U23 side, didn’t make the bench for the 2-0 win over the Foxes at the King Power Stadium, but it was another positive development in his career.
Parrott is evidently rated highly by Mauricio Pochettino and the Spurs manager referenced him following the match.
In the post-match press conference, as documented by Football London, Pochettino was asked if Kyle Walker-Peters, another talented young Tottenham player, was ready to feature in a big game.
“I think he’s ready to play,” the Spurs manager said, before referencing Parrott.
“All the players that we have in the squad, the younger ones like Oliver Skipp or Troy Parrott, who was involved today for the first time, it’s because they’re involved in the first team during days, during weeks, during months, and it’s only to give the possibility to play.
“I don’t doubt and I am not worried about players who are injured or don’t perform in their best, because we have another who can replace them. I promise we are going to win or lose with one or another.”
Stunning strike https://t.co/Xj0jsTN2Qv
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) December 2, 2018
Parrott was the Republic of Ireland’s best player at the U17 European Championships last summer and has excelled for Tottenham’s U23 team.
Of course, it’s important not to put too much pressure or expectation on such a young player. A brilliant 16-year-old footballer might not at the same level at 18 or 20 or 22. There are a lot of pitfalls in professional football, and the Premier League is arguably the most competitive environment in world sport.
But Parrott is clearly very talented, and it’ll be worth keeping an eye on his progress.
The Dubliner, who played for schoolboy side Belvedere, turns 17 in February. Pochettino’s son Maurizio is Parrott’s teammate in the Tottenham underage side.
