Years after being given a debut by Mourinho, Troy Parrott is thriving at Real Betis

[p]Some players need time to settle in, while others seem born to immediately turn opportunities into decisive moments. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/parrott-troy/K6H9Uptn/"]Parrott[/a] belongs, at least for now, to the latter category.[/p][p]The Irish striker began his adventure at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/betis/vJbTeCGP/"]Betis[/a] with the power and effectiveness of a centre forward who already seemed to know the Spanish team's system as if he'd been there for a couple of seasons.[/p][p]A goal against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/real-madrid/W8mj7MDD/"]Real Madrid[/a] - 10 minutes after coming on - and another against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lille/pfDZL71o/"]Lille[/a] earned two sensational wins in LaLiga and the Champions League, confirming the Andalusian club's excellent decision to bet on the 24-year-old, signed for 20 million from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/az-alkmaar/2RxOow1i/"]AZ[/a].[/p][p]Two lightning-quick strikes from a penalty-box predator in two top-of-the-table clashes, measuring the ambitions and potential of Manuel Pellegrini's squad. A squad now led by the Dublin native.[/p][image alt="Parrott's recent ratings" id="c15a094d-0ec6-4f51-b21c-8cc35f2ea12a" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="0e4dc8cc-b8ac-4cf5-a11a-7b3f83a02c2d" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][h2]Green power[/h2][p]White and green are always with him, both with the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ireland/Gfyqk1aG/"]Ireland[/a] national team and with Betis, who have shown great faith in him. Part of his country's squad since 2019, the 24-year-old has made his finishing instinct his trademark, despite not having a particularly imposing physique by modern standards (he stands 185 cm tall).[/p][p]However, his goal sense has helped him emerge calmly, without the pressure of being labelled a prodigy. In his blood and soul, the striker has that Irish 'green power' that has shaped his character.[/p][p]Hard work and dedication allowed the Irishman not to give up after missing the leap from the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tottenham/UDg08Ohm/"]Tottenham[/a] youth ranks to the first team. And in the calm setting of Alkmaar, he found the right place to nurture and develop his talent.[/p][p]Like a flourishing Dutch garden, Parrott blossomed with 30 goals in 58 matches over the last two seasons. And a wise coach like Pellegrini helped him take the final step up.[/p][embed guid="2a83783b-7fa5-49da-b3f8-990df2f9696b" url="https://x.com/ZS_Voetbal/status/2097424521229893925" social-type="twitter" /][h2]The 'gift' to Mourinho[/h2][p]In his last season in the Netherlands, he scored 31 goals and provided 12 assists in 48 appearances overall, including 16 league goals. These numbers convinced Betis to decisively target the Irish centre forward, identified as one of the men to bring strength and goals to the attack.[/p][p]And the goal against Real Madrid, scored with a close-range finish after a save from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/courtois-thibaut/MVExOq3n/"]Thibaut Courtois[/a] - the kind of finish typical of someone who already knows where the ball will end up - presented a hefty bill to Jose Mourinho.[/p][p]And not just because the Portuguese manager was beaten by that Chilean coach he had so often criticised in the early 2010s during his first spell at Real Madrid - Mou had said he would never coach [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/malaga/25tIqYiJ/"]Malaga[/a], where Pellegrini was in charge at the time.[/p][p]But also because it was the Portuguese coach who gave Parrott his debut on December 7th, 2019, in a Tottenham-Burnley match that ended 5-0, when Parrott was just 17. That goal scored late in Seville was a 'gift' that Mou didn't appreciate publicly, but which surely brought him some secret joy.[/p][image alt="The Heat Map against Lille" id="ba186a1b-309f-4a8f-834e-182221c17163" credit-line="Foto por MATTHIEU MIRVILLE / MATTHIEU MIRVILLE / DPPI VIA AFP / Stats Perform" guid="d168112b-962c-490d-a1d0-089cc77482fb" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][h2]Sky-high price tag[/h2][p]"[b]I'm really happy for Troy, scoring two goals in two games is huge for him[/b]," Pellegrini said after the comeback Champions League win away to a tough Lille side. After punishing Real Madrid's current coach, the Irishman also struck against Carlo Ancelotti's son, Davide.[/p][p]According to El Desmarque, the Andalusians have secured him with a 100 million release clause - a fair measure, given his consistent performances.[/p][p]The Irishman is a complete striker who can score but also contribute to the build-up, as shown by his 17 successful passes in the winning match in France. His heat map also shows him mainly positioned in midfield, linking up and combining with teammates.[/p][p]A modern centre forward, he arrived at Betis with the enthusiasm of a youngster. At 24, he can still get even better.[/p]