Excelsior Rotterdam has signed Irish striker Troy Parrott from Tottenham Hotspur on loan.
The 21-year-old is under contract with the London club until 2025 and has had to bide his time for game time in a Spurs shirt. His loan spells include loans at Millwall, Ipswich Town, MK Dons, and Preston North End.
A groin injury prevented Parrott from featuring under new boss Ange Postecoglou in their pre-season tour, and he will now continue his development in the Eredivisie.
Speaking on the club's website, Technical Manager Niels van Duinen said they had been after the Dublin native for a long time, and his energy will bring a new dimension to their attack.
"We have been looking for an attack leader from the start of this transfer window and knew we had to be patient. We had Troy on the radar for some time and did everything we could to get him to Excelsior. Despite interest from other clubs in the Netherlands and Europe, we have come to an agreement with him and Tottenham Hotspur through our story," he said.
"With his arrival, we are strengthening our ambitions. Troy is a player who brings a lot of energy, who likes to play football, but also wants to be in the box to score a goal. We expect him to adapt quickly to his new environment and our way of playing.''
๐ฏ ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐บ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฉ๐ง๐ค๐ฎ!
Excelsior Rotterdam huurt spits Troy Parrott van Tottenham Hotspur ๐ฎ๐ช
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โซ๐ด #samensterk #troyparrot2024 pic.twitter.com/egnb7chKpUโ Excelsior Rotterdam (@excelsiorrdam) August 24, 2023
Parrot has also revealed that the club's project appealed to him, and that picking the Rotterdam outfit was the right choice for him in the end.
"Last week I had discussions with trainer Marinus Dijkhuizen and Technical Manager Niels van Duinen. The story they told appealed to me. The way Excelsior plays football and the ambitions of the club suit me. I have also obtained information from others and I think football in the Netherlands is more technical than in the English championship. I think that way of playing football suits me, and that's why I think Excelsior is the right choice for me now," he added.
The last Irish player to play for the Dutch side was David Connolly in 1999-2001. Connolly scored 42 goals in 48 outings.
Parrot wants to follow in his countryman's footsteps for the upcoming season.
"I also know that Irish striker David Connolly is something of a legend here. He scored many goals for Excelsior in his period (1999-2001). That's what I want to do too. I want to take steps here at Excelsior and help the club. By scoring goals, but above all by being important to the team."
