Troy Parrott pens new deal at Tottenham, but when will he get his shot?

Troy Parrott earlier signed a new deal at Tottenham that will see him remain at the club through 2023, but when will the young Irishman get his shot to break into the first team? 

The club announced Parrott’s contract extension earlier today via the official website. This is excellent news for a Spurs side lacking options up front. But when will the 18-year-old get his chance to stamp his impression on the senior side?

In fairness to the youngster, he has made some headway this season by making two senior appearances, including his first top flight start, against Burnley on Dec. 7.

He also broke into the national setup in November when Ireland beat New Zealand in a friendly.

When Harry Kane went down with a serious hamstring injury on New Year’s Day, Spurs were flung into a colossal pickle. Devoid completely of senior attacking options, Spurs seemingly had nowhere to turn.

Jose Mourinho’s automatic solution was to alternate Son Heung-Min and Lucas Moura as the lone front man. A tactic facilitating mostly underwhelming results, not once did the Portuguese gaffer turn to Parrott, whose tender age seemed to provide a roadblock too big to overcome.

Mourinho gets to see Parrott every single day in training, so his assessment of the youngster  must be thorough. Obviously the gaffer doesn’t believe Parrott is ready for senior action, even in Tottenham’s most desperate hour.

While one has to be careful of throwing a promising prospect into the Premier League too early, I don’t quite understand, given the circumstances at the club prior to the Steven Bergwijn signing, why Parrott wasn’t given his chance in the FA Cup. An away draw at Middlesbrough followed by a narrow home win in the replay led Spurs to a fourth round tie with Southampton.

Playing the Saints offered yet another chance to see how Parrott would take to the FA Cup. But another chance went begging, with Mourinho instead deciding on the usual suspects up front.

So if Parrott can’t get a sniff in a side with no strikers in the FA Cup, when will his time come?

Ok, his age plays a massive factor but Mourinho has to be careful not to alienate a youngster who is blessed with an abundance of talent and potential. The Irishman, to gain confidence and maturity, needs match time.

Now that Bergwijn is in the mix and Spurs are a win away from the FA Cup quarterfinal, I don’t see any first team opportunities for Parrott forthcoming this season.

Hopefully Mourinho soon gives the youngster his shot to shine, or the excitement this contract extension has brought might fizzle out before Parrott has the opportunity to live up to all the hype. Time, however, is still well and truly on Parrott’s side in north London.