Ex-Tottenham star Troy Parrott makes emotional admission after Republic of Ireland heroics

Troy Parrott was in tears after his hat-trick for the Republic of Ireland in a dramatic 3-2 win over Hungary

An emotional Troy Parrott praised the Republic of Ireland's fighting spirit after the former Tottenham striker's superb hat-trick maintained their World Cup hopes in stunning circumstances.

The 23-year-old AZ Alkmaar forward, who netted twice in Thursday evening's extraordinary 2-0 triumph over Portugal, propelled Ireland into second spot in Group F and March's play-offs with a decisive strike deep into added time as they battled back twice from behind to defeat Hungary 3-2 in Budapest.

Parrott, who had previously slotted home a 15th-minute spot-kick and levelled with 10 minutes of regular time left, told RTE: "I'm really, really emotional. They're tears of joy. Ah, what a night, what a night.

"This is why we love football, because things like this can happen. Look, I love where I'm from, so this means the world to me. My family is here..

"It's the first time I've cried in years as well, I really, really can't believe it. Everyone is crying. I said against Portugal that this is what dreams are made of, but this tonight, I don't think I'll ever have a better night in my whole life."

Daniel Lukacs had put the home side ahead with a fourth-minute opener at the Puskas Arena and after Parrott's composed penalty had hauled the visitors level, Barnabas Varga thundered Hungary back in front once more. However, Heimir Hallgrimsson's squad simply wouldn't accept defeat on a night when only a win would suffice.

After capitalising on Finn Azaz's clever pass to level the score, Parrott seized upon Liam Scales' knockdown to clinch victory in the dying moments.

He expressed: "That is really a fairy tale. You can't even dream about something like that. Honestly, I have no words to describe my emotions right now."

Ireland last achieved three consecutive victories – against Georgia, Moldova and Austria – during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, but the pressure was significantly greater this time around with Hallgrimsson's team having secured just a single point from their first two matches.

While a scrappy 1-0 triumph over Armenia in Dublin was anticipated, Thursday night's 2-0 victory over Portugal was a surprise, and the chances of them replicating this success in Budapest were slim.

However, the indomitable spirit of recent successful Ireland teams was present in abundance, breathing life into a campaign that seemed to have faltered in Yerevan in September.

Parrott further commented: "I think everyone wrote us off at the start of the group, and I couldn't have said it enough. There's always a chance and we've taken the chance.

"I think everyone should be proud of the group of players that are over there. To go down in the game twice and then to come back like that is beautiful."

As Parrott revelled in being the first man to score a hat-trick for Ireland in an away match – a feat that led Dublin Airport to humorously rebrand itself as Troy Parrott International Airport on its official X account – Hallgrimsson was contemplating the broader implications.

The Icelander, whose prospects of securing a contract extension seemed grim following September's 2-1 loss in Armenia, reflected: "It's just a time to look back and think this is an absolute chance and a possibility for growth, not only for us but for Irish football, and we should cherish that and think (about) these guys.

"I hope in 10 years, people will look back and say 'these guys started this, that's the team that started this journey'. Success is not now, success is not that we won this game here, success is always a constant journey to the right direction, that is success.

"It's not a place and a moment and we should just think about this. Let's enjoy this moment, but don't forget where we are and where we're going."