‘I had no choice’, says Troy Parrott as footballer reveals unexpected celebration meal after Hungary hat-trick win

‘It was probably the best week that I’ve had in my life. I’ve said that a few times now’
IRELAND legend Troy Parrott celebrated his historic hat-trick against Hungary by tucking into some KFC.

The hot-shot Dubliner, 23, is still riding high after his injury-time winner fired the Boys in Green into next year’s World Cup play-offs.

Troy became the first senior men’s international to bag a trio of goals away from home, securing his place among the greats of Irish sport.

The nation has been in celebration mode ever since, with commemorative tattoos and renamed airports the order of the day.

But shortly after making history, the humble Sheriff Street star marked the occasion by enjoying some of the Colonel’s famous fried chicken beside the stadium with friends and family.

Ahead of facing Shelbourne in European action later on Thursday, the AZ Alkmaar striker lifted the lid on his celebratory post-match bargain bucket.

He smiled: “It was a KFC beside the hotel. A few of us went down there and got something to eat and had a bit of a go.

“It’s pretty much what we’re having here for the next few months.

“It was one minute away from the hotel. My family wanted to get that so I had no choice.

“I think I got a Zinger Burger. Just chicken, mayonnaise, yeah.”

Asked did he enjoy his Zinger burger, Parrott laughed: “Yeah, it was okay. It was fresh. Sometimes you get food from them places and it’s been there all day, but they made it fresh.”

He also revealed how he’d spent the days after Heimir Hallgrimsson’s men secured one of the most spectacular comebacks in the nation’s history.

Parrott admitted: “It was probably the best week that I’ve had in my life. I’ve said that a few times now.

“It’s still nice looking back on the moments that we had. I’ve come back down to earth a little bit now.

“The reaction that us as a team can give to the whole country, there’s no words to describe it.”

Days after his Hungary heroics, Troy’s delirious family revealed how they stocked up on fast food with the boy wonder before watching clips of the goal on repeat.

‘YOU KNOW HOW TO LIVE’

Speaking on the Late Late Show about the Budapest aftermath, Troy’s mum Jennifer admitted: “We were staying in the hotel where the team were staying in.

“We just went down the road and got KFC, and we came back to the hotel and just sat there,” with host Patrick Kielty joking, “you know how to live, Jennifer.”

Troy’s granny Josie had her own memorable experience after the win, revealing she went on a boozy bender around Dublin.

She laughed: “I went pub crawling! I seen one goal in Murray’s, then I left there to go to Judges, and on the way over to Judges, he scored, so I missed that one.

“But for the third goal I was in Judges, and I got a free pint,” she revealed, adding: “[the barman] gave me a bottle of champagne and little bottles of wine.

“But I don’t drink that, so he gave me a pint of Heineken.”