Don’t rule out Mick McCarthy returning to the touchline

You will get a stare that will tell you he is far from putting his feet up after leaving Blackpool in April, his ninth managerial position.

He said: "If something comes up I will consider it but I'm in the happy position where I have never had to apply for a job in my career so we will see.

"I am happy doing cycling and keeping fit, spending time on the golf course with my mates but there is nothing like working in football so I wouldn't rule anything out."

Of those nine managerial jobs, nearly six years was spent at Wolves, getting them to the Premier League at the third attempt in 2009 when they won the Championship.

He kept them in there next season for the first time since the Premier League was formed, in fact enjoying two successive seasons there, with wins over the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea.

McCarthy was in Stourbridge for an event hosted by his former goalkeeper and Sky Sports pundit Matt Murray, attended by many fanatical Wolves fans not just from the West Midlands but around the country. It was very clear the affection in which he is still held by them, and Murray,

He was only to happy to talk about the modern era at Molineux and the job Gary O'Neil is doing.

McCarthy said: "I'm delighted for Gary because he did ever so well keeping Bournemouth in the Premier League and deserved another chance.

"I don't watch one particular team in the Premier League but covered the Wolves game against Manchester City for the club television and I was impressed with them.

"You're not going to beat those teams all the time but it is nice when you do and it was an excellent performance.

"If he can keep getting those performances out of them he will be fine.

"But it is the same when I was managing Wolves, you can go and beat the top teams but the important thing is to raise your game in the next one or ones against teams lower down the table."

McCarthy said the Premier League is a 'stand alone' league that is unforgiving.

He added: "It's a different game in terms of ability, pace, fitness and off the field finance, everything that goes with it stands alone.

"If you look where Sheffield United, Luton and Burnley are, their three managers were very much the centre of excellence in Paul Heckingbottom, Rob Edwards and Vincent Kompany who was outstanding.

"You look at them now and those teams are in the bottom four with questions about whether the manager will be there next season.

"The expectation is to stay out of the bottom three and that has always been the case.

"I remember some people were having a go at me when I managed Wolves in the Premier League because an achievement for me would be staying up.

"They asked me if that was all I wanted to do – well no, I would have liked to finish in the top six but you have to be realistic."

On Wolves fans he has nothing but respect for them and made time for the many who came into the boardroom for pictures and signings of pictures.

McCarthy said: "Wolves fans want to see good football and be entertained, maybe have a good cup run and I'm sure they would be happy to finish mid-table and not be bothered about relegation.

"There is so much to lose with going out of the Premier League, look at Alan Curbishley who kept Charlton in it for three seasons and was then sacked – it's ridiculous."

On Edwards, who five years ago was at AFC Telford but last season got Luton up to the Premier League through the play-offs, he said he was delighted for him.

He said: "Rob has done brilliant, he has come up through the ranks and I am delighted for him.

"He did so well at Forest Green, I don't count the Watford job as they have had more managers in a few years than most have in 10 so that was kind of inevitable.

"But then he gets their nearest and dearest at Luton up through the play-offs – who would have thought that? He has done a fantastic job and is one of the up and coming ones."

The next Sportsnight Events and Memorabilia evening at Stourbridge FC is on Friday November 24 featuring Alan McInally, Tony Daley, Garry Thompson and Alan Evans.

For information and tickets, call 07870 150 072.