Troy Parrott feels there is no point dwelling on Armenia as Ireland set about attempting to reconstruct a crumbling World Cup qualifying campaign in Portugal this Saturday.
The AZ Alkmaar striker missed Ireland’s opening games in the group – a home draw with Hungary and an away defeat in Armenia – because of a knee injury.
But he has been recalled to the squad for Saturday’s trip to Lisbon and the subsequent home fixture against Armenia next Tuesday, though his availability for selection remains uncertain as he continues to make his way back to full fitness.
“I feel good, I’m progressing really well. I just have to take it day by day and see where I end up when the game on Saturday comes around,” says Parrott.
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“Of course, I’d love to play and I’m going to do everything I can to try and be available for the game, but I think at this stage that I’m at, we just have to wait and see.”
The 23-year-old watched the Armenian game on television, frustrated like all Irish fans at the outcome which has left Ireland’s World Cup qualification hopes hanging by a thread.
But Parrott feels Ireland can still progress from the group.
“It’s not going to be over until it’s over. We have two more chances coming up now and our focus is on the game on Saturday.
“It’s a new camp. Look, we can all sit around and dwell on the past, or else we can try and do what we can with what we have and where we are right now.
“The simple answer is that we lost the game in Armenia, so we have to now focus on these two games and see what we can do and still try to qualify.
“Everyone in the changing room, everyone in the staff, the coaching staff, we all know that it wasn’t good enough. But it’s happened now, it is what it is. We can’t dwell on it. It’s not going to change anything now. As I said before, we can only move on to what’s in front of us.”
And Parrott believes there must be collective responsibility for the defeat.
“Everyone has to take it. People can sit here and maybe blame the manager, the manager’s not on the pitch. He puts out a team, he gives the tactics, the players are out there. Yeah, all of us take the blame together. That’s the way it has to be.”
With Evan Ferguson now an injury doubt for this weekend, it has been a frustrating period for those who would like to see Parrott and the Meath man get a concerted run of games together up front for Ireland.
Parrott has been showing the most clinical form of his career since moving to AZ Alkmaar in the summer of 2024. He has already bagged 10 goals this season, so the knee injury arrived at a very inconvenient time.
“This is probably the best that I’ve played in my career so far, at the start of this season, just in terms of the goals and the performances,” he adds.
“So to have it taken away was difficult to deal with. I was so excited for the two games (against Hungary and Armenia), so to not be able to come, it was hard to take.
“I can’t predict what’s going to happen, but I feel good, I feel confident and I feel fit. So hopefully I can pick up where I left off.”
Parrott had been linked with a move back to England during the summer transfer window but after blossoming in the Netherlands, the striker was in no rush to pack his bags and leave AZ Alkmaar.
“I wasn’t really interested in moving in the summer, to be honest,” he says.
“I was comfortable where I was and I believed that having another season in the Netherlands would really benefit me. I wasn’t paying any attention to any outside noise.
“I really enjoy it there, I enjoy playing football, I enjoy the life there, so I was always fixed on staying for another year.
“It’s a completely different style of football. A lot of the football I played in England was in the Championship, where the games are really physical, long balls, tackles.
“In the Netherlands, it’s more focused on playing with the ball. I feel that suits me a lot more than the long balls and fighting. So that’s probably one of the reasons why it’s worked out so well so far.”
One of the unintended consequences of staying put is that Parrott will now get the opportunity to play against Shelbourne in the Conference League as Joey O’Brien’s side visit Alkmaar on November 27th. Parrott grew up near Tolka Park but was a Shamrock Rovers fan as a kid.
“I’m really looking forward to that one, I wish it was here (in Dublin). I think it’ll be a good game. I’m hoping they bring a good crowd with them as well.
“I was always a Rovers fan growing up, so I was out in Tallaght, it’s the way I was brought up. I just preferred the green and white when I was younger.”
