Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports , former Celtic , Ireland and Sunderland star Aiden McGeady has hailed the rise of Troy Parrott and what it means for the Republic of Ireland .
McGeady believes Parrott can become Ireland 's own Scott McTominay , carrying the team and filling the goalscoring void left behind by Robbie Keane , and has backed him to enjoy a fine career after bold moves to AZ Alkmaar and Real Betis .
The former winger has also assessed how many goals Parrott could score in Spain , Ireland 's qualifying hopes against Kosovo , Israel and Austria , the incentive of home European Championships , and what the FAI must do to compete.
Parrott's Rise
How Exciting Is Troy Parrott's Form For Ireland?
Troy Parrott has backed himself. I played against him a few years ago when he was at MK Dons after that loan from Spurs . You could see the talent he had, but he was obviously still relatively young and eager to play first-team football. He's taken a slightly different step compared to a lot of people.
He went to AZ Alkmaar and performed really, really well, then got a big move to Real Betis , and obviously he's playing Champions League football now. I think that can only benefit the national team.
Obviously, there's a lot of pressure on him as well because I think he's now the shining light of Irish football at the minute. Rightly so, I mean, his goals in the last qualifying campaign almost propelled Ireland to the World Cup.
He's got a lot of pressure on his shoulders, but if he just keeps performing the way he's performing, I think he's going to have a very good career.
Have Ireland Got Their Own Scott McTominay?
Yeah, I don't see why Troy Parrott can't be Ireland 's Scott McTominay . If you go through Ireland 's squad, there's a lot of talent with players performing in the Premier League and Championship . But he's probably the star player and the best option to score goals and carry the team. 100%. In the past, it was Robbie Keane , and after he retired, people were asking where the next striker was coming from.
We had Shane Long , Daryl Murphy , and David McGoldrick , but after that, there wasn't really anyone coming through at 19 or 20. Troy Parrott is now filling that void.
Transfer Talk
Do Everton or Newcastle Need a Deal in January?
I think at some point you might see Troy Parrott in the Premier League , but he could do really well at Real Betis , then move to another European team or another Spanish team. For me, the Premier League is the most competitive and biggest league in the world. In terms of technical ability, I'd probably say Spain is better, but the Premier League is the most exciting, and everyone wants to play in it; it's got the biggest pull.
If it were me, I'd probably be quite happy and comfortable staying out in Spain , or maybe playing in Italy or somewhere similar. But yeah, at some point you might see him come back. He's made a big, bold move already in his short career, and I've got high hopes for him.
How Many Goals Could Parrott Score For Real Betis?
The Golden Boot in Spain for Troy Parrott ? That would be difficult. He's not playing for Barcelona or Real Madrid , though he is with a very good team playing Champions League football. Based on the money paid for him, around 20 million euros, it's relatively cheap in this day and age. If he scores 15 goals, that would be a successful first season. But rivalling Kylian Mbappe might be difficult.
Qualifying Hopes
What Are Ireland's Chances Against Kosovo, Israel and Austria?
I don't see any overly strong teams. Looking back at the last international break, there weren't any seriously strong teams there, and we were close to qualifying for the World Cup.
The pressure is on now for Ireland to start qualifying for things again, because the last time Ireland qualified was in 2016. They got to the World Cup play-offs in 2017 for the 2018 World Cup , but since then it's been difficult. I know they just gave the management and coaching staff new contracts, so the pressure is on them to qualify, and I don't see why they can't.
Kosovo is an opportunity. You want to start off any campaign with a win and get on the front foot. I'm unsure what the score's going to be, but I don't think it'll be too different from the last campaign. The manager has to get the group playing. The last campaign was pretty poor until the final few games, and then Ireland almost sneaked through to the play-offs.
The overall start was really poor, and I think that's what hindered Ireland . So this campaign, they obviously have to start strong. Then take that into the next two games.
How Big an Incentive Are the Home European Championships?
That's what everybody will be thinking about from now on. To have a home major competition is amazing, not only for the players, but for the fans, the cities, and the countries in terms of revenue.
It would be amazing as a player to qualify and play a competitive game at a major tournament in Dublin or Glasgow . So obviously there's an added incentive for the players to want to get there and be in that squad as well.
What Improvements Would You Like the FAI to Make?
For the Irish teams in Europe , it's almost impossible. You could probably compare Ireland to some of the smaller nations that maybe get to the play-offs or the final rounds, but even then, the gulf in finances is too big.
Until Ireland are able to attract players the same way these other countries can, or unless there's a real keen eye for recruitment, it's going to be really difficult. They're fighting a losing battle, and we're now experiencing it in Scotland as well.
From next year, it's going to take two qualifying rounds to actually get to the Champions League , if not three the following year. It's really difficult, but it's obviously based on the coefficient.
If you can't get through and the national team's not doing so well, how do you actually qualify? It's almost impossible, so it's really tough for the teams in the Irish league.
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