Rubin's staggering rise
It would be remiss not to mention the youth success story of the year.
Few Cardiff fans had given Rubin Colwill a second thought until McCarthy came into the club and made a point of highlighting what an impression the young playmaker had made on him.
Having started the season on the bench for the under-23s in a defeat in their mini-South Wales derby, he ended it at the Euros with Wales. A wholesome, genuine success story.
Importantly, and encouragingly, the Colwill we see today is a vastly improved player to the one we saw make his debut against Coventry City back in February.
He has come on leaps and bounds in that time, gaining confidence and chipping in with important goals. The 19-year-old is genuinely exciting and Steve Morison is right to expect interest in him in the new year.
He is not the finished article, not by any stretch at the minute, he needs to improve his decision making and positioning at times, but if he improves as much as he has in the last six months then the sky really is the limit for him.
Cardiff fans beamed with pride when he was named in Rob Page's squad for the Euros and that must have been a proud moment for all at the club.
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