Pundit thinks Spurs gem Troy Parrott can make it to the ‘very, very top’ – on one condition

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Tottenham Hotspur academy prodigy Troy Parrott has all the credentials to make it to the “very, very top” of the game, according to RTE pundit Paul Corry.

However, the retired midfielder admits he has some “question marks” regarding what will help the Spurs gem get to a level akin to that of teammate Harry Kane.

Parrott is one of the most highly rated players in the Tottenham academy, with four first-team appearances and a further four spots on the bench, not to mention a senior cap for the Republic of Ireland.

Despite calls for Tottenham head coach Jose Mourinho to give Parrott more game time amid the club’s crisis up front, the Portuguese has repeatedly stated that the youngster is not ready to be thrown in at the deep end.

Mourinho recently questioned Parrott’s professionalism, being quoted by the Evening Standard as saying: “Every time he was playing with the kids, he was playing with the mentality of, ‘I shouldn’t be here, I am too good to be here, it’s not here that I want to play.’ And this is an educational process.

“He has to go there (with the age group sides) and to show his attitude and professionalism and how privileged he is. He cannot go there with discontent or contempt.”

Corry told RTE: “His ability as a player is never going to be in question. I don’t think anybody is going to question that. He has all the tools to make it to the very, very top, but the ones who stay at the top for the longest amount of time… you look at Harry Kane, he’s just a picture of professionalism.

“If you are to extract every bit of potential (from yourself), you have to do things right off the pitch… You have a decision on how professional you want to be. You have a decision on what food you eat, how much you rest you get, whether you go out on the weekends or midweek, how you spend your money.

“There’s one part of football that’s about looking like a footballer, and there’s a second side of it that’s about actually being a footballer. I’m not accusing Troy of anything like that. I’ve met him. He’s an unbelievably intelligent young man, unbelievably down to earth, but there are certain question marks I’d still have. If he is to go as far as everyone wants him to go, I think there’s a bit of professionalism needed.”

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Parrott has certainly shown he has what it takes at age group level, but given his young age, his talent and the constant calls from sections of the Spurs fanbase and some pundits about throwing the youngster at the deep end, if wouldn’t be surprising if it has affected his mindset, as Mourinho previously suggested.

While raw talent in football is impressive, many a talented player has fallen by the wayside because their attitude didn’t match, while some much less talented players have played top-level football for most of their careers – so Corry is right about the importance of having the attitude and work ethic to match their talent.