Ex-Premier League striker Stephen Elliott has told RTE that he is worried there will be too much pressure on Tottenham Hotspur talent Troy Parrott.
Ireland striker David McGoldrick announced his international retirement last week, meaning Stephen Kenny now needs to figure out his future attacking plans.
He noted that Norwich City’s Adam Idah, Brighton and Hove Albion’s Aaron Connolly, West Bromwich Albion’s Callum Robinson and Tottenham youngster Parrott are all in his thoughts for the coming years.
Parrott, 18, is in the Ireland Under-21 squad to face Iceland and Luxembourg, despite an injury stalling his progress on loan at Millwall.
An ankle blow means that the teenager has only managed 45 minutes of EFL Cup action this season, and still hasn’t made his league debut for the Lions.
With virtually no league football under his belt, Elliott now feels that the expectations around Parrott may be too big, and fears it may be too much in terms of the pressure on him.
Elliott, formerly of Sunderland, admitted that you get excited when he’s scoring goals at youth level and being compared to Harry Kane, but he wants the hype to slow down a little.
Elliott did note that Parrott has more finishing ability and knowledge than many other young attackers emerging, but just wants to see him play senior games before being anointed as the future – both at international and club level.
“There are such big expectations around Troy, I just worry that all it doesn’t become a bit too much for him pressure-wise,” said Elliott. “You get a little bit excited when he’s scoring goals for the young international teams and people are saying he could be the next Harry Kane but I think we have to take a back seat with Troy and let him get a run of games in the first team and build up physically. It is a bit different to playing U21, U23 football.”
“From what I have seen he has more finishing ability and knowledge of the game than even some of the other younger lads coming through,” he added.
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