Asked if he would score the goal that sent the Republic of Ireland into fits of joy with a new tattoo, Troy Parrott replied: “No, I think when we get to the World Cup is when I’ll get one.”
It’s ironic that Parrott has a penchant for tattoos – his injury-time victory against Hungary on Sunday is a moment now permanently etched in the annals of Irish football.
Ray Houghton’s goal against Italy in the 1994 World Cup, Robbie Brady’s winning goal – also against the Azzuri – in the 2016 Euro Cup and now Parrott in Budapest in November 2025.
The stuff of legend.
And less than 24 hours after that glorious night, Parrott speaks exclusively to BBC Sport to go some way to articulating the goal that will change his life forever.
“How many times have I rewatched it? Probably 500 times; every time I use my phone, it’s there,” Parrott explained.
“Even last night when I went to bed, I couldn’t sleep imagining it over and over again.
“In general, I’m not a very emotional person, this is the first time I’ve cried in years. Look, I can sit here and try to describe it, but this is the first time I’ve felt something like that.
“I’ve scored goals before, but none as significant as the last one against Hungary. As a country we’ve had a lot of disappointing results and we haven’t given the fans much to cheer about, so they were tears of joy.”
What happened in the Hungarian capital on Sunday night was the culmination of an unforgettable week for Parrott and the Republic of Ireland.
The 23-year-old’s brace in the 2-0 win against Portugal on Thursday night gave Heimir Hallgrimsson’s team a great chance to qualify for the World Cup via the play-offs in March.
But then scoring a hat-trick against the Hungarians is something Parrott can’t imagine.
“I think what happened against Portugal and then last night means this has to be written somehow,” he said.
“We are all here for a reason, we all work very hard to be where we are.
“But you can lie in bed and imagine what you want the scenarios to be like and the last week I’ve had is something you can’t even imagine.
“For all of this to happen so perfectly at that moment in the game, it has to be written. Everything lined up perfectly. It’s a little bit of good karma for us because as a team and as a country we’ve had a lot of bad karma.”
As you can imagine, Parrott has been the center of attention in Dublin for the last 24 hours.
Social media has been awash with clips of frenetic scenes of celebration in Parrott’s homeland.
Dublin Airport was even renamed Troy Parrott Airport on its official X account.
“Yes, I saw the Dublin airport thing. I love everything,” said the AZ Alkmaar striker.
“It’s crazy. I may be biased, but the Irish support our people better than anyone. It’s really something special. Beautiful.”
“Just to see how happy it’s made everyone, I was out today and the fans thank me.
“I love where I come from, I love being Irish. It’s something I’ll have for the rest of my life.
“People say this is the best night they’ve ever had in their lives, so to be able to contribute to that is something I’ll never forget.
“I know I’m not going to change, what’s happening around me might, but even I don’t think I’ve had enough time to take it in. It’s beautiful.”
