When Mauricio Pochettino received a glowing report from his son Maurizio about Troy Parrott Tottenham Hotspur wasted no time in signing the teenager.

The striker was a prolific goalscorer in Ireland, which brought him to the attention of Chelsea and Manchester City, among other English clubs. But it was Tottenham who stole a march after being tipped off by Marty McGuigan, their scout in Ireland at the time.

Tottenham invited the then 15-year-old for a trial at a youth competition in Belgium in the summer of 2017. Parrott played alongside Maurizio against Club Bruges and soon after made the move to London from Belvedere, the Dublin schoolboy club.

Parrott, 17, has made rapid progress and has taken further strides this summer by turning heads in