Troy Parrott is the talk of the town after his stunning hat-trick helped Ireland secure a World Cup play-off place on Sunday night, and Micah Richards has praised the Leeds United transfer target.
Ireland entered the November break with a near-impossible task. They had to beat Portugal and Hungary away from home to secure second place in their World Cup qualifying group, but they did just that.
A 2-0 win over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, which saw the legendary footballer sent off, was followed by a last-gasp 3-2 win over Hungary. Troy Parrott scored all five for Ireland during the November break.
His brace against Portugal was somehow overshadowed by the Alkmaar star’s hat-trick to beat Hungary, the winner coming in the 96th minute. Leeds turned down the chance to sign Parrott in the summer.
Leeds were told they could do a deal for the former Tottenham striker, if a fee of £25m was put on the table. Despite a 20-goal season in 2024-25, Leeds chose not to sign Parrott but remain interested.
Micah Richards loves what Troy Parrott has done off the pitch
LeedsUnited.News understands Leeds scouts watched Parrott against Portugal. Then, following the win over Hungary, reports from the Netherlands said Leeds had reignited interest and reopened talks.
It is believed that Leeds will have to pay a whole lot more than £25m to get him now, ahead of January. Micah Richards, a self-confessed Leeds admirer, shares why he is impressed by the former Spurs man.
He praised Parrott for being a trailblazer, trying something new abroad instead of staying at one club and trying to make it work: “How many players have you seen not make it at one club, fall down the leagues.
“And they can’t quite get it going. He’s found a home, scored a lot of goals, now he’s playing for his country, it’s a massive, massive night for him. Buzzing for him,” Richards continued, discussing Parrott.
What Troy Parrott said about his AZ future in the summer
Following the links with Leeds in the summer, Parrott spoke out about his future. He said that he wanted to remain at AZ, having joined the Eredivisie side in the summer of 2024 from Tottenham for a small fee.
He said: “Whatever happens, it’s not going to be my decision. If someone asked me now, I would say I want to stay. I am focused. In my mind I will be here next season. I am ready to go again.”
Players are always wary of moving during a World Cup year and while that might not have been a consideration for Parrott going into the November break, it certainly is now. But he will be expensive.
Leeds’ PSR position is likely to cause issues ahead of a possible pursuit of the Irish striker ahead of the January window, but Leeds do need goals and an in-form striker, high in confidence, is a smart move.
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