‘I gave him a big hug and told him I was so proud of him’ – Troy Parrott’s mother ‘in a dream’ after son’s heroics against Portugal

The AZ Alkmaar striker was the hero for Ireland last night, scoring both goals in a famous victory over Portugal to keep the Republic of Ireland’s hopes of qualification for next year’s World Cup alive.

It was the first big victory at home over an elite nation in more than a decade for Ireland, with Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo sent over just after the hour mark.

Cristiano Ronaldo gestures towards Dara O’Shea before being shown a red card for elbowing the Ireland defender (inset top right)

His mother Jennifer told Oliver Callan on RTÉ she was in attendance at Lansdowne Road to take in what her son described as the best night of his life.

“I’m overwhelmed,” she said.

“My heart was in my mouth. I just kept on praying and praying that before, first reaction that he doesn’t get injured, that’s what I always pray for.

“And then I just say please God, let everything come after that , the goals and everything, but first, make sure he doesn’t get injured.

“It was just unbelievable. I was just jumping for joy.”

After the second goal went in, she said: “I actually thought I was in a dream. That’s what I thought it was, I thought I was in a dream.

“It was just brilliant. It really was. It was just my heart was, as I said, in my mouth,

“All of us were there, his brothers and sisters, and we were just full of emotions, we were just crying and jumping around. It was brilliant.

“Even the crowd, the fans, they were just brilliant. The atmosphere was brilliant.”Troy Parrott celebrates with captain Seamus Coleman after scoring Ireland’s second goal against Portugal. Photo: Sportsfile

She said her son was “a bit quiet” after the game.

“I think he was taking it all in, he was still taking it all in. As soon as I seen him and the players, I just gave him a big hug and told him I was so proud of him. It was just brilliant.”

Reflecting on Troy’s childhood, she said he was always quiet and always had a passion for football, which she said helped him remain disciplined and out of trouble during an upbringing in inner city Dublin.

“He just loved it, from a young age he was dedicated to football and he just loved it.

“This is his dream and this is his time. He didn’t really get the chance to start many matches for Ireland and he was just waiting for this opportunity and he’s after getting it.”

Parrott signed for Tottenham Hotspur when he was just 15 – his mother said at the time that she hoped he would remain in his digs in England until he was at least 30.

“The people that he was staying with were such lovely people and they looked after him very, very well, and that sort of took a little bit of worry away from me when he went over.

“I used to ring them, I used to go over and visit them and go for dinner in their house and everything, and they were brilliant.

“When he comes home and visits, he goes to visit all his friends from when he was a young age, he goes to visit all them and he never forgets where he comes from.”