Troy Parrott to make Real Betis home debut against Real Madrid, reuniting with Mourinho

Republic of Ireland forward Troy Parrott, 24, is settling into life in LaLiga, and this Friday, September 4, brings a notable milestone: Real Betis host Real Madrid at the Estadio Benito Villamarín, giving Parrott his first appearance in front of the Betis home crowd.

The fixture carries extra significance because of who is on the opposing bench. As Balls.ie reports, Real Madrid's Jose Mourinho handed Parrott his Champions League debut back in 2019, when Mourinho was managing Tottenham Hotspur. The match will be shown in Ireland and the UK on Premier Sports, part of Sky's Sports Extra package, which this September also covers the Champions League's return, Premier League fixtures and the start of the URC rugby season.

The move to Betis

Parrott joined Real Betis in mid-August, choosing Spain over a return to England — according to FotMob, Championship side West Ham United had previously been the frontrunners to sign him. He instead signed a five-year contract with Betis.

The club finished fifth in LaLiga last season, scoring 59 goals and conceding 48, but lacked a standout goalscorer: top scorer Cucho Fernández managed just 11 league goals — the first time a Betis player had passed the 10-goal mark in a single LaLiga season since Borja Iglesias scored 15 in 2022/23. With Betis preparing for their first Champions League campaign in over 20 years, the club identified a clinical finisher as a priority signing.

Head coach Manuel Pellegrini praised Parrott's versatility after the signing was confirmed, describing him not merely as a traditional number nine but as a skilled goalscorer with good instincts and an ability to find space.

A mixed start and a proven scoring record

Parrott's opening weeks in Spain have been uneven. He came off the bench in a 1-0 win away at Valencia, then, in his full debut against Levante, had a goal ruled out before being substituted after an hour. Before joining Betis, Parrott spent two seasons at Dutch club AZ Alkmaar, scoring 30 league goals, following a loan spell at Rotterdam side Excelsior where he registered 10 goals and four assists in 25 appearances. He was once regarded as a potential heir to Harry Kane at Tottenham Hotspur's academy.

Betis will be hoping he can recapture the form that saw him, after a slow start at AZ Alkmaar two years ago, score four goals in a single match against Heerenveen.