Most footballers wait a whole career for one night that follows them everywhere. Troy Parrott got his at 23, in Budapest, deep into stoppage time, with his brother and sister in the stands almost by accident. Nine months later he was a Real Betis player, bought for a reported 20 million euros. That is a remarkable turn for a striker who, not long ago, looked like he might become a permanent loanee.
He is 24 now, settling into La Liga, and the question has changed. Nobody is asking whether he can score. They are asking how high he can go.
Troy Parrott, in brief
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Troy Daniel Parrott |
| Born | 4 February 2002, Dublin |
| Age | 24 (turns 25 in February 2027) |
| Grew up | North inner city Dublin, around Portland Row and Buckingham Street |
| Height and foot | Around 1.85 m (six feet one), right footed |
| Position | Striker, centre forward |
| Club | Real Betis, signed from AZ Alkmaar in August 2026 |
| Reported fee | Around 20 million euros |
| Youth club | Belvedere FC, Dublin |
| Country | Republic of Ireland, senior debut in 2019 |
| Estimated net worth | $5 million to $7 million (Icon Polls estimate) |
| Relationship | Partner Lauren Bowry, not married |
Budapest, and what came after
November 2025 rewrote his standing in Ireland. Evan Ferguson had been expected to lead the line in the final World Cup qualifiers, with Parrott as cover. Ferguson hurt his ankle, Parrott started, and he scored twice as Ireland beat Portugal 2-0 in Dublin. Four days later, on 16 November, he scored a hat-trick in Budapest as Ireland came from behind twice to beat Hungary 3-2. The winner arrived in the 96th minute, a scrappy poke after the goalkeeper failed to hold the ball. It knocked Hungary out and sent Ireland to the play-offs.
He said afterwards it was the first time he had cried in years. Back home, Irish television turned up at his grandmother Josie's house on Portland Row, draped in tricolours. She said she had known he would do it.
The ending was cruel. In March 2026 Ireland drew 2-2 with Czechia in the play-off semi-final and lost 4-3 on penalties. No World Cup for Ireland, again, and no World Cup for Parrott.
Five loans before anybody believed
Tottenham signed him from Belvedere in 2017, at 15, and handed him his first professional contract on his 17th birthday. The first team never opened up. Instead came loans at Millwall, Ipswich Town, MK Dons and Preston North End between 2020 and 2024, useful experience but rarely a platform.
The move that mattered was Excelsior in the Netherlands for 2023/24. He scored 17 league goals and two hat-tricks in the relegation play-offs, though even that could not keep the club up. AZ Alkmaar had seen enough, and paid Tottenham a reported 8 million euros in July 2024.
The Dutch years that changed the maths
| Season | Club | Goals | What stood out |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 | Excelsior (loan) | 17 (league) | Two play-off hat-tricks, club still relegated |
| 2024/25 | AZ Alkmaar | Around 17 | Eredivisie Player of the Month for December 2024, scored in the KNVB Cup final |
| 2025/26 | AZ Alkmaar | Around 20 (all competitions) | 10 goals in his first 7 games, hat-trick against Ajax, KNVB Cup winner |
| 2026/27 | Real Betis | Just started | Debut off the bench in a 1-0 win at Valencia, involved in the winner |
Two highlights tell you most of what you need. Four goals in a 9-1 win over Heerenveen in September 2024. Then, in January 2026, a hat-trick and an assist in a 6-0 KNVB Cup thrashing of Ajax. The 2025 cup final ended in a penalty defeat to Go Ahead Eagles despite his goal, so lifting the trophy a year later carried extra weight.
As a player he is less about spectacular finishing than relentless movement. He runs in behind, gambles on loose balls and refuses to let defenders relax. The Hungary winner was pure Parrott.
Why Betis paid 20 million euros
Few valuations in Europe have climbed as sharply. Around 8 million euros in 2024, roughly 18 million by early 2026, and a reported 20 million when Betis signed him in August. That is about two and a half times what AZ paid.
West Ham, Everton, Leeds United, Porto and Stuttgart were all linked over the summer, with English reports putting his price around 18 million pounds. Betis actually closed the deal. Manuel Pellegrini has said publicly that Parrott is not only a number nine, which hints at a more flexible role than simply parking him between the centre backs.
Net worth: lower than the fee suggests
Icon Polls estimates Troy Parrott's net worth at $5 million to $7 million. There is no official figure, and that number can look small next to a 20 million euro transfer. But the fee went to AZ, not to him. His teenage and early adult years were spent on academy and squad wages at Tottenham, then on loans in the Championship and League One, where pay is modest. His first genuinely strong contract arrived at AZ in 2024.
His Betis salary has not been published. Icon Polls estimates it at €1.8 million to €2.5 million a year before bonuses, a big step up from the Eredivisie. The profile he built in November 2025 should also make him commercially attractive in Ireland, though no specific endorsement figures are public.
The knee, and the timing
His fitness record is good for a striker who plays on the shoulder of defenders. The one real setback came in late August 2025: a knee ligament injury, right after those 10 goals in seven games. He was out for roughly six weeks, returned in October, and picked up almost exactly where he left off. There is no record of recurring muscle problems, and he arrived in Seville fit.
Family, Portland Row and Lauren Bowry
Parrott keeps his parents out of the spotlight, and their names have never been reliably reported. He has a brother and a sister, also unnamed publicly. Irish coverage after Budapest noted that his siblings had booked flights only the day before the game.
He is not married. His partner is Lauren Bowry, from Croydon, and the pair went public on social media in April 2022. Bowry appeared on Little Mix The Search in 2020 with the group Melladaze, and now makes lifestyle and travel content. There has been no engagement announcement, so any talk of a wife is guesswork.
What Spain needs to see
The honest verdict: Parrott has proved he can score in the Eredivisie and deliver on the biggest international stage. La Liga is a sterner test, with tighter defences and less space to run into. If he scores regularly at Betis, Premier League clubs will come back with larger offers, and Betis have never been shy about selling at the right price. If he struggles, he is still young enough to adapt. Think he belongs among football's finest one day? Have your say in our vote on the best football players of all time.
A few quick answers
How old is Troy Parrott?
He was born on 4 February 2002, so he is 24 and turns 25 in February 2027.
Did Troy Parrott play at the 2026 World Cup?
No. Ireland lost their March 2026 play-off semi-final to Czechia on penalties after a 2-2 draw.
Why did he leave Tottenham?
He never broke into the first team, and after five loan spells he joined AZ Alkmaar permanently in July 2024 in search of regular football.
