There is a temptation, whenever a former Tottenham youngster scores a spectacular goal, to ask whether Spurs made a mistake by letting him go.
Troy Parrott certainly gave us plenty of ammunition for that question on Thursday night. His sensational solo goal against Austria was a reminder of the talent that was always there, and his development since leaving north London has been impressive.
But Spurs were still right to sell him.
That is not a criticism of Parrott; quite the opposite. Sometimes the best thing a club can do for a talented young player is accept that his route to regular first-team football is blocked and allow him to find somewhere else to play.
When Parrott was trying to establish himself at Tottenham, Harry Kane was one of the best strikers in the world and was occupying the centre-forward position. Spurs were also operating at a level where they could spend significant money on established players to provide competition and cover.
Parrott made only four senior appearances for Tottenham. Instead, he went out on a succession of loans — including Millwall, Ipswich Town, MK Dons, Preston and Excelsior — before making his permanent move to AZ Alkmaar in 2024. His final season at Excelsior had produced 17 goals in 32 games in all competitions, but he was still 22 and needed a permanent home where he could play.
That is the important bit that can get lost when a former academy player subsequently flourishes.
Tottenham could not promise Parrott the football he needed. And Parrott could not afford to spend his early twenties waiting for an opportunity that might never arrive.
His move to AZ gave him that platform. His subsequent progress has taken him further, and he is now playing in La Liga for Real Betis and producing increasingly important performances for Ireland.
On Thursday, he scored twice against Austria, including a superb individual effort, and has now scored nine goals in his last six competitive appearances for his country.
None of that means Tottenham should have kept him.
Top clubs routinely have to make these decisions. A youngster can be talented, popular with supporters and capable of eventually becoming an excellent footballer — while still not being the right player for the club’s immediate needs. When the pathway is blocked by an established star, a permanent transfer can be the most sensible outcome for everyone.
There will always be hindsight with academy players. If Parrott scores 25 goals in a season, people will quite reasonably point back to his Tottenham days and wonder what might have been.
But football does not work backwards.
Watching him score a goal like Thursday night’s will always sting a little for Spurs fans. We can enjoy the fact that one of our former academy players has developed into a serious player without pretending the decision to let him go was wrong.
Sometimes selling a young player is not giving up on him.
Sometimes it is exactly what he needs.
