Troy Parrott is looking to bring his goalscoring reputation to LaLiga
By Ben McAleer
Sevilla secured the services of Scottish striker Robbie Ure last month, the 22-year-old joining from Swedish side Sirius. Ure registered his first goal involvement in the recent 3-1 home defeat to Atlético Madrid.
Not to be outdone, Real Betis secured Troy Parrott’s services in mid-August. Parrott had been linked with a return to England, with Championship side West Ham United previously leading the race to land the Republic of Ireland international.
The 24-year-old, though, opted for a switch to Betis, and it’s easy to see why. The Heliopolitans enjoyed a memorable 2025/26 campaign in LaLiga as they ultimately finished fifth. They were among the division’s great entertainers as they bagged 59 goals, yet shipped 48.
Cucho Fernández was their top scorer with 11 goals to his name. Abde Ezzalzouli bagged 10 times. In all, a total of 17 players struck for Manuel Pellegrini’s side in Spain’s top tier last term. There was a fair spread of goals, which is hardly a surprise for a team that ranked behind just Barcelona and Real Madrid for both shots (14.2) and chances created per 90 (10.8).
Ahead of a first Champions League run in over 20 years, however, they needed a bagsman. A player to put the ball in the ball of the net with greater regularity. A striker who’d capitalise upon the chances put in front of him. Cucho, after all, was the first player to score more than 10 league goals in a single season for Betis since Borja Iglesias netted 15 times in 2022/23.
To match his goal-getting ability, Parrott brings tactical flexibility to Pellegrini’s frontline. The experienced Chilean favours a 4-2-3-1 setup, with the striker required to not only tuck away chances but essentially act as a false nine to link up the play on a fluid frontline. Pellegrini addressed Parrott’s versatility after putting pen to paper on a five-year contract.
“He is not only a number nine,” the Real Betis boss said. “He’s a good goalscorer, he knows how to find space, and is a good player. He has that instinct for the ball and I think he’s going to do well.”
Parrott’s off-the-ball intelligence should eventually see him slot in seamlessly. That’s because the supporting act – largely Antony, the mercurial Isco and Rodrigo Riquelme, while Nelson Deossa and Abde are also options – work best with a physical presence leading the line. The striker’s hold-up play and ability to hold off defenders will benefit the ball carriers at Pellegrini’s disposal. They’ll be able to maximise the space he opens up to put opponents to the sword.
Factor in the increase of game time owing to Champions League qualification, and the demands it will place on the squad, and Betis needed to strengthen their depth across a number of key positions. What’s key here, though, is that Parrott and Cucho are able to operate alongside one another should Pellegrini need to throw another forward into the mix.
Given Parrott’s willingness to drop deeper and Cuho’s explosive timing when playing off the shoulder of the last defender, the pair have the potential to forge an effective partnership if ever deployed together.
In time, Parrott should prove an ideal fit for the Seville powerhouse. The move to Betis continued his storied career across the continent. At one stage, Parrott was considered the heir to Harry Kane’s throne at Tottenham Hotspur. Loan spells across a number of EFL sides, including Millwall and Preston North End, eventually saw Parrott secure a season-long switch to Dutch outfit Excelsior.
And it was with the Rotterdam side that Parrott began to really realise his potential. Indeed, he scored 10 goals and provided four assists across 25 league outings for Excelsior before AZ Alkmaar came knocking.
In 2024, he departed Spurs permanently. Supporters were surprised to see the youth academy product depart for AZ for a reported €8m. In the current market, it represented a steal. The Irishman scored 30 league goals across his two seasons before last month’s high-profile switch to sunny Spain.
A return to England would have been an easy route back to the spotlight for Parrott. Having chanced his luck in one of Europe’s perceived lesser leagues, he’d have torn up the Championship in the Hammers’ quest to make an immediate return to England’s top tier.
However, the Seville switch marks something of a coming of age move for Parrott. Evidently, he’s not afraid to move outside of his comfort zone to further his career, and this mentality is to be praised. Of course, it hasn’t been an easy start for Parrott.
His first appearance was as a second-half substitute in a hard-fought 1-0 win at Valencia. Betis’ marquee summer signing endured an afternoon of mixed fortunes in his full debut against Levante. Parrott saw a goal disallowed before his withdrawal on the hour mark. He’ll hope to make amends in Friday’s welcome of Real Madrid as he gears up to make his debut at the Estadio Benito Villamarín.
It took Parrott a little while to bag his first goal for AZ following his 2024 switch. He drew a blank in his opening four league appearances before smashing four past Heerenveen in his fifth outing. Real Betis would love a repeat of his awesome foursome when Los Blancos make the trip south for Friday’s tantalising clash.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every Real Betis game on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.
Add FotMob as a preferred news source on Google by clicking – here.
