Tottenham Hotspur have appointed Jose Mourinho as Spurs manager and some fans worry what that could mean for Troy Parrott’s first-team chances.
Tottenham Hotspur academy prodigy Troy Parrott has enjoyed a swift rise to the brink of the Spurs first team under Mauricio Pochettino.
However, the Argentine’s sacking combined with the arrival of Jose Mourinho at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium have led to some fears regarding the 17-year-old’s chances of first-team football in the Lilywhites shirt.
Over the years, Mourinho has picked up a reputation for not making the most of young talent, or overlooking them in favour of more established stars, and as such, questions are being asked by fans regarding what this all means for Parrott.
But it may not all necessarily be doom and gloom as initially predicted – Mourinho has made it clear he is relishing the prospect of working with Tottenham’s youngsters, and in conversation with the Spurs site, appeared to have a dig at his former teams by suggesting he hasn’t always had the right structure to give prospects a chance.
Indeed, Mourinho has given opportunities to 60 youngsters over the years (Daily Mail), including the likes of Raphael Varane, Fabinho, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Scott McTominay – and given Parrott is a high-calibre player with the right attitude, why shouldn’t he be given a chance if he’s good enough?
Mourinho may also not necessarily have the same sky-high pressure at Tottenham as he may have had at the likes of Chelsea and Real Madrid, where managers have been sacked months after winning trophies – which means more leeway for blooding in talented youngsters.
In April 2018, Manchester United head of academy Nicky Butt defended Mourinho’s supposed snubbing of young players, telling BBC Sport: “It is far away from the truth. He is really engaged and speaks to me nearly every day. It has surprised me massively because you hear all the stories about him not being interested in the academy.”
“The manager is interested in good players. He either gets them from the academy or he goes and buys them. He might have been a bit unsure about Scott (McTominay) when he first went up there. We all were, let’s be honest. But what he has done with him is something all the kids can look to, and I can’t ask any more of him than that.”
In conclusion, it seems like Parrott should not worry about Mourinho being Tottenham boss – if he’s good enough and has the right attitude, there’s no reason whatsoever why Mourinho should snub him.
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