Former Republic of Ireland striker David Connolly feels that Mick McCarthy may decide to call time on his managerial career following his exit from Cardiff City last weekend.
McCarthy handed Connolly his international debut in 1996 while he also tried to sign him for Sunderland in 2004 only for the player to opt for Leicester City instead.
Since then, McCarthy has managed at Wolves, Ipswich, APOEL and Cardiff, as well as having a second stint with Ireland, and Connolly said that the 62-year-old may decide that his time in the game has come to an end, especially with younger coaches starting to become more prominent.
"It might be, it might be," was Connolly's response when asked on RTÉ’s Game On would Cardiff be McCarthy’s last job.
"Steve Bruce has said the same recently, but I guess time away from football - time can be a healer.
"A lot of managers probably look at Swansea, I don’t think how Martin Russell (aged 35) has done at Swansea has helped.
"Another one, Forest Green Rovers at the top of League Two, a young manager (Rob Edwards, aged 38). There are links with young coaches maybe getting that job at Cardiff.
"It might be time for some of the emerging coaches to have a go. Possibly it might be (his final management job), you never know."
McCarthy's fate was sealed with a 2-0 loss to Middlesbrough on Saturday, the side’s eighth loss in-a-row.
Connolly said that when a losing run stretches that long it’s basically impossible to recover from.
"It’s a tough one because I obviously know Mick so well. It was difficult.
"I had to do a little piece in the newspaper before the game at the weekend and it was kind of written as if he had lost his job to be honest because you just couldn’t see any other result.
"They were playing Neil Warnock, former Cardiff manager now at Middlesbrough, Sol Bamba was going back, they had lost whatever, seven in-a-row, six at home, there just seemed no way back for Mick.
"It’s tough for him to take but he’s been around the block, he knows it’s a results business.
"It hasn’t really gone well for a few Ireland managers, him, Chris Hughton. It didn’t quite work out for him (Hughton) at Forest either and they’re now going well.
"I think it’s best for everyone that Mick moved on. It didn’t look like it was going to improve."
