Tottenham Hotspur should consider retaining Troy Parrott as a back-up striker after his exceptional loan spell in Eredivisie.
The Republic of Ireland international joined Dutch club Excelsior Rotterdam on a season-long loan last season after failing to make a name for himself in England.
Parrott had previously had loan spells at Millwall, Ipswich Town, Milton Keynes Dons and Preston North End, but he struggled to find his feet.
He netted just six times for Millwall, Ipswich and Preston combined. His most productive stint came with MK Dons, where he bagged ten goals and seven assists in 47 games.
However, he finally showed his potential in the Dutch top flight, racking up 17 goals and five assists in 32 appearances for Excelsior.
His tally included seven goals across three play-off appearances, including hat-tricks against ADO Den Haag and NAC Breda.
Excelsior were eventually relegated, but Parrott was undeniably a standout performer for them.
Speaking to The Independent, the 22-year-old revealed he has not spoken to Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou about his future.
Parrott’s exceptional form earned him a call-up to John O’Shea’s national team squad for friendly fixtures against Hungary and Portugal.
He repaid the manager’s faith and continued his prolific form in front of goal with a last-minute winner as the Boys in Green beat Hungary 2-1 on Tuesday evening.
When asked whether Postecoglou has spoken to him about next season, he said: “No, not yet. I’m sure I will have those conversations after my break. I just want to have a holiday and go from there.”
Postecoglou should retain the youngster as a back-up striker next season.
Tottenham are in the market for a marquee striker to bolster their attacking ranks after missing out on Champions League football by two points.
Several players have been linked with a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, including Brentford’s Ivan Toney and Feyenoord’s Santiago Gimenez.
Parrott could be the ideal understudy for whoever leads the line next season, giving him the chance to stake a claim for a first-team berth at his boyhood club.
