Ireland 'not overloading' Parrott amid rotation at Betis

Heimir Hallgrimsson says his Republic of Ireland set-up has always been careful not to overload players after Real Betis counterpart Manuel Pellegrini suggested that the number of games Troy Parrott played in the last UEFA Nations League window is a factor in why he has rotated the striker at club level.

Since signing for La Liga side Betis in a high-profile move this summer, the Dubliner has been rotated in and out of the starting line-up at his club.

Parrott led the line for Betis from the opening whistle in Wednesday's Champions League defeat at Borussia Dortmund.

He also started last weekend's 2-1 win over Malaga in La Liga which has come during the injury-enforced absence of fellow forward Cucho Hernandez.

While the 24-year-old has started every European game this campaign, he has only started three times in the Spanish top flight, and has come on five times as a substitute. On two further occasions, he has been an unused sub.

In his press conference after the Malaga game, Betis boss Manuel Pellegrini suggested that he has been managing the player's minutes, citing the fact that Parrott started all four of Ireland's games in the UEFA Nations League across the combined September and October window as a factor.

"We have been rotating him because during the international break he played all four games for his national team so we have been rotating him here with Nelson Deossa," the former Real Madrid, Villarreal and Manchester City head coach said.

That assertion was put to Hallgrimsson after he unveiled a 24-man squad for the upcoming Nations League games against Austria and Kosovo on Thursday.

The Ireland manager pointed to Parrott's experience at previous club AZ Alkmaar where he was a regular starter in multiple competitions for two seasons.

"(Pellegrini) should look further back because Troy played every game for AZ, 90 minutes every game, fully fit," he said.

"He played every game 90 minutes, so I don't know if they’re running more in Spain. But that's his strength.

"He’s been able to play every league game 90 minutes and 120 minutes when it’s needed, and then the games for us, so that wasn’t a factor. But maybe it is.

"I don’t see him running more in Spain than he has done (previously). We’ll look at this and if we need to rest him, we’ll rest him. That has always been our role. We’re not overloading any players. We haven’t had many injuries in the national team."

Meanwhile, Hallgrimsson said the Ireland set-up would not have a sports psychologist with them during the upcoming international camp, having availed of the services of Gerard Perry during the last window which was overshadowed by the controversies surrounding the two games against Israel.

"We'll not have a clinical psychologist like we had last camp. We’re going to work on having (one) for the Euros, we’re going to work on having a full-time sports psychologist. We’re just in that process," he said.

The Icelandic coach added, on a personal level, he has found availing of sports psychologists to be a useful outlet.

"I have always tried to associate (myself) with people in that area. I have a life coach," he said.

"I used Gerard Perry in (the last) camp because he was with us. It was good for me to have a talk with him, someone with deep knowledge of Irish culture.

"It was good for me to learn from how you process your thoughts. Everybody in a high performance environment needs to have someone in that area to assist.

"When you get injured we will have physios and doctors and everyone ready. But if you need someone in that area we don't have anyone. So I think that's just going forward an area that's going to be more and more important for high performance athletes."

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