Manchester United were forced to turn to a goalkeeper whose only previous first-team appearance came in a non-league match as their pre-season friendly against Paris Saint-Germain threatened to take a turn for the worst. An injury to Tom Heaton meant they had to turn to academy graduate Dermot Mee.
Mee's unexpected debut
The 24-year-old was called upon early in the second half when Heaton appeared to injure his hamstring after coming out to clear the ball. The score was locked at 1-1 at the time, and that's how it stayed with Mee getting a clean sheet.
The goalkeeper's appearance comes four years after his only other senior appearances. The shot-stopper made four appearances for National League side Altrincham back in 2022.
Short on options
He got his chance against PSG with first-choice goalkeeper Senne Lammens given extra time following his return from World Cup action with Belgium. Summer signing Karl Darlow is continuing his recovery from a minor procedure.
Andre Onana has returned to Trabzonspor on loan for the season, while Altay Bayindir has now completed a loan move to Celta Vigo.
Radek Vitek has also completed a permanent move to Championship side Middlesbrough for an initial fee of £7million, which could rise to £14m. The goalkeeper impressed on loan in the Championship with Bristol City last season.
The transfers and injuries meant that United were short on options for the game against PSG, something that gave Mee a chance to show what he can do. The academy graduate recently signed a new two-year contract at Old Trafford.
Mount injury concern
The injury to Heaton wasn’t the only blow to Michael Carrick’s side during the game, with Mason Mount picking up a problem early in the match. The midfielder has been one of the standout players for United during pre-season so far, but was replaced in the first half and appeared to hold a lengthy discussion with members of the United medical team after making his way off the pitch.
Speaking after the game, Carrick gave an update on Mount. "He got kicked," the manager said. "We just wanted to be careful and look after him. We’ve been lucky with injuries so far, so we wanted to be careful."
Upcoming fixtures
United are back in pre-season action on Wednesday night as they take on rivals Leeds United (7.30pm BST). They then finish their pre-season preparations with a friendly against AC Milan, ahead of the season opener against Hull City on Saturday, 22 August (12.30pm BST).
