Agree, characters like Mick are few and far between in football these days. He's a decent bloke, and like you say a 'football' man.
I like Mick and, the same as you, have touch of sympathy for him.
I also feel a little sorry for Mick McCarthy in spite of his Ding1e5 connection. In the early 1980’s we spent a holiday in Santo Tomas, Menorca where we had visited several times previously in June each year.
The barman at the Hamilton Court apartments who we had got to know always arranged a footy game against the local town team Es Migjorn Gran at their stadium.
That year we were with a Round Table friend of ours - Peter Fox who played in goal for Stoke City over 400 times. Also staying there was Mick McCarthy, Ernie Moss and Denis ? who was an ex pro with Villa and at the time, one of their coaches - so four pro’s!
Es Migjorn usually beat the tourist team every year but that year we beat them
7-1.
I went in goal second half so Pete Fox could have a run outfield and I saved a penalty! Foxy let their goal in and I had a clean sheet!
Mick seemed a great guy and good company as we partied that evening celebrating our win so that’s why I feel a degree of pity for his current situation.