Former Ireland international Terry Phelan is confident the Boys In Green will make their return to the World Cup this summer
14:13, 09 Feb 2026Updated 14:14, 09 Feb 2026
Troy Parrott
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Troy Parrott(Image: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne)
Former Ireland international Terry Phelan has backed Troy Parrott for making a "great decision" which could help fire the Boys in Green to the World Cup.
Parrott has been in red hot form for AZ this season, netting 22 goals in 30 games across all competitions for the Dutch side. The Portland Row man's fine club form, combined with his heroics on the international stage, saw him linked with a move to a number of clubs during the transfer window, including a return to the Premier League with Fulham.
But Phelan, who won 42 Irish caps, believes Parrott has made the right choice in staying in the Netherlands. "The grass is never greener on the other side, is it?" Phelan told Dublin Live. "You see these guys they jump from one club but then they're sat on the bench for four or five games, six games, seven games. You're not a football player.
"He's gone to Holland and he's gone, 'I'm going to score my goals, I'm going to be playing week in and week out'. Hopefully he keeps himself fit and it's all about scoring goals, isn't it? No matter what level you're playing at, especially from 18 years of age up, for strikers, it's about scoring goals."
The former Wimbledon and Manchester City full-back added that Ireland's goalscoring hero's development will be better served by playing every week. "He's not going to score goals if he goes to the EPL and he's sat on the bench for five or six games. I think he's made a fantastic decision. Take no notice of what anybody else says out there. Take no notice of your agent. It [a big move] will come but it has to come at the right moment for him."
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Terry Phelan(Image: Joel Goodman)
And that current hot streak can benefit Ireland as they look to get past Czechia in the play-off semi-final next month for a chance to take on either Denmark or North Macedonia in the final and secure a place at this summer's World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico.
"I think he's made a great decision because at the end of the day, if he's banging in goals week in, week out his confidence is sky high," said Phelan. "He can go into these games for Ireland and go, 'You know what, I'm confident, I'm banging goals in, I'm super-fit'. That's what you want."
Phelan, who played in Ireland's famous victory over Italy at the 1994 World Cup, is now based in India where he is technical director of South United and can't keep as close an eye on the exploits of the latest generation of Irish heroes as he would like. But he still got goosebumps watching back Parrot's magic moment as he netted the late winner against Hungary in November.
"I saw a few of the highlights of the games and obviously the last game, that's what football is made of, isn't it?" he beamed. "There's the luck of the Irish. I think the nation needed that, the head coach needed it, the players needed it. But the fans needed it, didn't they?
"They needed that spark, that adrenaline. That nostalgia was put back into it and there was belief and all, wasn't there? Real good belief. Now the country's believing, 'Hey, hang on a minute. We have got the players who can go on and win the next two games'."
And Phelan is confident Ireland will be back on the world stage for the first time in 24 years this summer. He added: "I think both games, the first game is winnable and the second game is winnable. There's no doubts about it. I honestly believe that. With the support and the nation behind the guys. The guys have been absolutely brilliant and they've stuck at everything."
Terry Phelan was speaking with Gambling.com where you can find a full list of the best Irish casinos
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