Family affair at Croke Park caps Mee's special night

[Getty Images] Manchester United goalkeeper Dermot Mee had a very special night at Croke Park. Although Mee was born in Birmingham and was a Northern Ireland youth international, his family comes from numerous parts of the Republic of Ireland. He revealed his mum played camogie at Croke Park and was part of the 83,000-crowd that watched her son save the decisive penalty that clinched a shoot-out victory against Leeds in the historic first game between English sides at the home of the Gaelic Athletic Association. "It's a really special moment," he said. "She's played there and now I've come on and done well. "My mum's mum was from Limerick and her dad's from Wexford. On my dad's side, we've got Galway and Tyrone. So, I'm all over. That's where the name comes from. "I watched the hurling final because obviously Limerick and Galway, mum versus dad, that was quite an interesting one. "Mum and dad were in the crowd and that extra bit of adrenaline at the end gets you that extra few inches and helps make a save." At 23, Mee has already accepted the responsibility of being United's fourth senior goalkeeper. He signed a two-year contract this summer knowing he would be behind Senne Lammens, Karl Darlow and Tom Heaton. While Radek Vitek opted to join Middlesbrough at a similar age, Mee was happy to commit to his boyhood club, even though he knows, barring the injuries that ruled Darlow and Heaton out last night, his chances will be limited. "You have to think about every contract you sign, whether it's an insurance contract or a football contract," he said. "You just have to weigh up the pros and cons. "For me, being at Manchester United since 11, it was really hard to turn down. "I love the club, I love being here, and I want to help the team to do really well this season. "It's not deflating. From the outside it seems a lot harder than it is. "I train every day with some of the best players in the world, so if anything, that could be harder than stepping into the games and being on the bench and being ready."