The first time I played at Croke Park was when I was 11 years old.

They have skills games at half-time in the big matches and I played in one of those.

My first competitive match was for Crossmaglen in the 1996 all-Ireland club final.

We won that day so my first experience of playing at Croke Park was brilliant and I have been back between 15 and 20 times since.

It isn't as daunting now as it was the first time but in the new stadium the atmosphere is unbelievable with almost 80,000 people there and I think it always brings the best out in Armagh.

The atmosphere and the buzz means that you are always nervous playing there no matter how many times you have been there before.

I think it's maybe more exciting now than it was. I think as you get older you appreciate it more.

Armagh won at Croke Park in 2002

I was only 20 when I played my first match at Croke Park and I suppose I was thinking that it was going to be a regular thing and it was going to happen every year.

You soon realise that after a couple of defeats it could be the last time you play there, so I always try to make the most of it.

If you ask any young child where they would like to play their next match they would all say Croke Park and when I was young it was no different.

Croke Park is different now, it's a fantastic stadium and at the end of the day it is always the place for a Gaelic footballer to play.

I think players would be a lot more nervous going out to play at Croke Park than at a club ground.

There is no hiding place at Croke Park. People have been found out there before.

When you go out you have to play to the best of your ability or you will be found out and taken off.

I can't think of anything worse than being taken off in front of 80,000 people.

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