Parrott must get ‘addicted’ to the highs football can bring

After the highs of scoring the winner for Ireland in the week, Liam Manning has urged forward Troy Parrott to get addicted to the feelings he felt to want them more often.

The 20-year-old smashed home the winner on Tuesday night in the 97th minute to beat Lithuania 1-0 at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, just minutes from there he grew up.

And after the highs of scoring the winner, Manning wants Parrott to yearn for more moments like that.

He said: “You have to become addicted to those moments, but to get them you have to work hard every day in training, committing and obsessing on the game, and by doing that, you’ll get more.

“It was a good goal and a good moment for him. We were all delighted for him and it was a really proud moment for him and his family.”

The Tottenham loanee has become a key man for Dons in their recent surge up the League One table, and has peaked in form at the right time with seven matches remaining.

While his brace against Cheltenham last month came as great relief for everyone, not least the Irishman himself who ended a four-month dry spell without a goal, his performances have been excellent since the turn of the year and a more consistent run in the side.

Manning added: “You can trust Troy, and you can see he works so hard for the team, and he just needed to add the final bit. Doing the defensive bit and the basics gets you a six or a seven every week, but his creativity will get him higher.

“He'll score more goals, but now he's starting to show a level of consistency in his performances.”