Evening Standard
·5 March 2025
Troy Parrott has no regrets over Tottenham exit: 'I look back with a smile'

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·5 March 2025
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Troy Parrott has said he has no regrets about leaving Tottenham in the summer, with the AZ Alkmaar forward aiming to dent his former club's Europa League hopes on Thursday night.
Parrott's AZ face Spurs in the competition for the second time this season in the last-16 first leg in the Netherlands after Ange Postecoglou's side won 1-0 in the initial league phase back in October.
The Republic of Ireland international joined Spurs as a 15-year-old from boyhood club Belvedere and went on to make four appearances before joining Alkmaar permanently in the summer following a series of loans.
He has been a hit at the Eredivisie club, scoring 12 goals in 24 league appearances, as well as four times in eight starts in the Europa League.
Asked if he had any regrets about not staying at Spurs longer, Parrott said: "No, definitely not. For me it just didn’t happen. I’m OK with that.
"I’m here, I’m really enjoying myself here, I love life over here. Now I’m just focusing on where I am right now and trying to progress and keep getting better here.
"I look back with a smile. It's a place where I grew up. I moved away from home quite young so when I went there I was in a phase of going from a kid to a teenager and then past that.
"It was always good for me. It helped me become the person and player I am now so I can only look back on that with good memories.
"I think it was just the right time for both of us to move on. When I look back, that's not what I think. I just think about the good times I had growing up there now I'm here.
Troy Parrott left Tottenham permanently in the summer
Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images
"I never had a conversation [with head coach Postecoglou]. For me, I was ready to move on and I think the club were also ready to move on. I thought it was the perfect time to do so. That’s just the way it went and I’m here now.
"It’s going to be an interesting game," he added. "I feel we’re in a better position now than we were when we played the first time. It will be interesting to see, we’ll have to wait until after the game tomorrow to see what happens."
Spurs have had a week off before the game while AZ will be playing their fourth game in two weeks, with Parrott having started the previous three. The 23-year-old revealed he had been using a cryo chamber to help his recovery between matches.
"It’s something I have picked up and it benefits me in trying to recover as well as I can in the couple of days we have to do so," he said.
"I can’t tell if I am fully recovered or not but I feel like for me personally it helps. It’s really cold, minus 120 degrees, so I go in there for three minutes and for me I feel like it helps.
"Especially when you play so many games, it’s really important to try to recover the best you can so you’re ready to go again for the next game. For me it’s about trying to find extra things to benefit that."
I moved away from home quite young so when I went there I was in a phase of going from a kid to a teenager and then past that.
Troy Parrott
Parrott is conscious that it has been a difficult season for Spurs, with Postecoglou's side languising in 13th in the table and out of both domestic cups.
"I'm sure it's disappointing for everyone there," he said. "When I was there, the focus was always the top four and being at the top of the table. I think looking from the outside, because I'm not in there anymore, it looks like there's a disappointment there.
"They're not doing as well as they want to. It seems like a difficult time for them. I'm just trying to focus on my team and what we have to do tomorrow to try to get a result."