Irish kid lands souvenir of a lifetime after Man United's Europa League win
A young Leixlip United player picked up the souvenir of a lifetime after Manchester United's Europa League semi-final win against Athletic Bilbao at Old Trafford last Thursday.
Lee McDonagh (11) went home with Red Devils star Amad Diallo's jersey after he was singled out by the Ivory Coast midfielder moments after the final whistle.
Amad came on just after the hour and played his part in the win by teeing up Rasmus Hojlund for United's third goal on the night.
As the final whistle went, he broke away from his teammates and made his way over to where Lee, his dad Gary and older brother Aaron were sitting, in line with the 18-yard box close to the Stretford End.
The 22-year-old took off his shirt and tossed it to Lee, who could barely believe his luck.
Dad Gary told MirrorSport: 'This was Lee's second time and like any kid going to Old Trafford, he was quite excited.
'He didn't have any placard or poster asking for a jersey, but when the players were walking around the pitch after the match, Amad looked in our direction. He was the only one to take off their jersey and, as he walked towards us, he flung his jersey at Lee.'
Gary reckons he will never truly know why his son was chosen by the United prospect - but eagle-eyed viewers at home on Thursday night had one theory.
They spotted Lee, who was sitting in the front row of the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand, as the camera zoomed in on Amad at one point during the game, while he was standing in front of the Leixlip youngster.
'Lee has red hair and maybe that jumped out for Amad,' reasoned Gary. 'He was a good bit away from the fans, passing the halfway line when he was the only player to break away from the group.
'He started walking towards where we were and as he got to us he removed his jersey. He was pointing at Lee and Lee was shouting at Amad.
'We're thinking now, maybe he spotted Lee at the time and decided to come around again after the match. We'll never know.'
It capped an amazing night for Lee, whose previous visit to Old Trafford was for a 3-0 win against Bournemouth in January 2023.
They were in the perfect spot to see every single goal last Thursday, with Mikel Jauregizar's opener in the first-half, and United's four replies in the second-half - including Mason Mount's brilliant 50-yard lob - all going into the Stretford End goal.
They even made sure to get to the ground early to watch United warm-up right in front of them.
'The guy who gave me the tickets previously told me to get in an hour before the game, because the players warmed up right at the sideline. They were only six or eight-foot away from us.
'The last time the three of us went to a game, the Bournemouth match, we were in the same seats and we could nearly reach out and touch the lads.'
Once Lee - a fifth class pupil in Scoil Mhuire, Leixlip - got the jersey, it was all about getting it back to their hotel safe and sound.
'As a dad, once Lee got the jersey I made sure no one else could grab it off him. Someone beside Lee said to him, get that jersey in your jacket,' said Gary.
'Our hotel was five minutes away from Old Trafford and when we got back, we took the jersey out, put it on the bed and we were all jumping around the room; me, Lee and Aaron.
'Lee's Mammy got a phone call, but she didn't get the whole excitement, so we had to hang up and ring my brother.'
The jersey is going to be framed and hung in Lee's bedroom, but these past few days have seen all his pals line up to get photos with the souvenir of United's march to another European final.
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