Troy Parrott should be the primary candidate to lead the line for the Republic of Ireland against Bulgaria next week, according to Keith Treacy.
Parrott has found a goalscoring touch since joining AZ Alkmaar last summer, netting 17 in all competitions, including a dozen in the Dutch Eredivisie and four in the Europa League.
The 23-year-old has increasingly found himself further down the international pecking order however, featuring in only half of Ireland's UEFA Nations League group games last Autumn, including just one start away in Greece.
Evan Ferguson and Sam Szmodics have established themselves as the two at the top of Heimir Hallgrimsson's thoughts up front.
But with the latter injured and the former yet to start since joining West Ham on loan in the January transfer window, after a bit-part autumn at Brighton, other in-form players like Parrott and Celtic's Adam Idah could stake a claim for next week's two-legged promotion/relegation tie against the Bulgarians.
"If I'm Troy Parrott, I'm knocking on the gaffer's door as soon as I come into camp," former Ireland and Blackburn Rovers winger Treacy said on the RTÉ Soccer Podcast.
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"I'm telling (Hallgrimsson), 'I'm assuming I'm number one here, I'm in great form'. Twelve goals in 24 (league) games, he's playing Europa League football, playing against Spurs, he's scored against Galatasaray, had a big part to play in the goal they scored against Spurs as well.
"So I would imagine Troy is thinking in his own head that he is the number one."
Treacy added that Idah would also feel confident of increased involvement based on his contributions for Celtic in the Champions League, where he scored three times in the opening phase, including a brace against Aston Villa, and faced Bayern Munich in the play-off round.
"Adam will feel that maybe he's there as well," he said.
"Evan is the one that has all the potential, Evan is the younger one of the lot and he's the one that has looked really good at Brighton.
"We see him developing and where Evan could go and we think that Evan should be the number one striker for Ireland.
"At this moment in time, I think it has to be Troy Parrott because if it's not Troy now, when is it ever going to be for Troy?
"I think he's bided his time really well and even when Robbie Keane's (Ferencavaros) team played against AZ Alkmaar, the soundbites coming out of Robbie after it were that Ireland don't use Troy Parrott enough. If we have a legend of the game, our all-time leading goalscorer, maybe we should listen to him.
"And this is not someone just out on a wing and a prayer saying, 'Ah, throw him in there because Robbie said he's good', he's doing the business at AZ Alkmaar. So why not?
"He has to be number one at the minute. I think long-term, we're all looking at Evan Ferguson to be that answer. But right here, right now, as the Bulgaria game is looming, I think it has to be Troy's."
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