There were some that questioned the appointment of Mick McCarthy back in January but Cardiff City's decision to go for the experienced coach has proven the right one. 

The Bluebirds have lost just once in McCarthy's tenure and their win against Swansea City ahead of the international break has left them just four points outside the play-offs.

That's a gap that they'll feel confident they can close when the Championship campaign resumes next week and the experience of McCarthy could well prove vital in the business end of the 2020/21 season, while there are some seasoned heads in his squad as well.

We've turned our focus to some of Bluebirds' most experienced players in their history and they've had a fair few in the Welsh capital over the years.

With that in mind, we've scoured the Transfermarkt records to compile a list of the top 10 oldest players ever to feature for Cardiff City...

We start with a very familiar face, Danny Gabbidon.

The Welsh centre-back made nearly 200 appearances for Cardiff across two spells at the club, which came at the opposite ends of his career.

Gabbidon made the majority of his contributions for the Bluebirds in his first spell between 2000 and 2005 but returned for the 2014/15 campaign.

He didn't get the chance to feature much as a player because he was appointed as the interim boss after Ole Gunnar Solskjær's departure in September 2014.

Gabbidon's final game for the Bluebirds came in November 2014, a 0-0 draw against Birmingham City, with the defender aged 35 years and 3 months old.

The left-back was only with Cardiff briefly, making seven appearances while on loan from Sheffield United in the 2005/06 Championship campaign, but features at number nine on this list.

Alan Wright's most significant contributions came for Aston Villa, making more than 300 appearances at the club.

His final game for Cardiff came against Luton Town on the 1st of January 2007 at the age of 35 years, 3 months, and 4 days.

It seems he did his job against the Hatters in that game, as Wright helped the Bluebirds keep a clean sheet at Kenilworth Road.

Wright went on to play for Nottingham Forest, Cheltenham Town and Fleetwood Town after leaving the Welsh capital and is now the Stockport manager.

A recognisable figure to many fans of English football, Heidar Helguson spent the majority of his career in this country with his final contributions coming for Cardiff.

The forward scored goals in both the top flight and the Championship with the likes of Watford, Fulham, Bolton, and QPR but joined the Bluebirds for what would be his curtain call.

Helgusson scored nine times and added five assists in his 39 appearances for the Welsh club, with his final appearance for the club a 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest in April 2013.

The former Iceland international was 35 years, 7 months, and 22 days old when he played in that game – scoring the opener.

The oldest player on this list, Brian Harris was 35 years, 10 months, and 8 days old when he played his final game for Cardiff.

That match was the second leg of the Bluebirds' Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final against Real Madrid, which the Spanish side won 2-0 meaning they qualified for the next round.

That would not be his last contribution for Cardiff in a footballing sense, however, as he later took up the role of assistant manager.

A versatile utility man, Harris spent the majority of his career at Everton but spent five years in the Welsh capital after joining in 1966.

The only current Cardiff player on this list, Sol Bamba will likely climb higher on this list once he gets back on the pitch.

The powerful centre-back was signed as a free agent in October 2016, months after leaving Leeds United, and has proven a very useful addition.

Samba was particularly integral to the Bluebirds' promotion to the Premier League in 2017/18 – playing every single game that season.

His last appearance for the club was in December last year and saw Cardiff beat Birmingham City 3-2 at home.

The defender was 35 years, 11 months, and 3 days old at the time, which puts him at number six on this list.

Goalkeepers usually outlast outfield players, which makes it a huge surprise that George Wood is the only one among Cardiff's top 10 oldest players.

The Scotsman's career started with East Stirling before he moved to Blackpool, then Everton, Arsenal, and Crystal Palace – making nearly 200 appearances for the south London club.

Wood left the Eagles to join Cardiff in 1987 and he spent three years in the Welsh capital.

The shot-stopper's final game came on the 5th of October 1988 at the age of 36 years and 9 days old.

Wood kept a clean sheet as Cardiff claimed a 4-0 win against Derry City in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink made his name with Leeds United, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, and Middlesbrough but finished his career in the Welsh capital.

The Dutch marksman's quality was clear though as he scored nine times and added 11 assists in his only season for the Bluebirds, the 2007/08 campaign.

Hasselbaink's final game for Cardiff and indeed in his career came on the 17th of May 2008 at the age of 36 years, 1 month and 20 days

The Bluebirds were beaten 1-0 by Portsmouth in the FA Cup final on that day and the Dutchman was unable to go out with a goal.

The Wales international spent the majority of his career at rivals Swansea City, notching up nearly 400 appearances for them, and his time with the Bluebirds came late on.

Robbie James joined from Bradford City in 1992 and spent just one season in the Welsh capital before moving onto Merthyr Tydfil in 1993 and then Llanelli Town, acting as a player/manager at both clubs.

The midfielder was 36 years, 6 months, and 5 days old when he featured in the 3-1 defeat to Standard Liege in the Cup Winners' Cup in 1993, which puts James at number three on this list.

Another former manager of Llanelli features at number two on this list, Andy Legg.

The left-back featured for a number of English clubs but his longest spells came at first Swansea and then Cardiff.

Legg spent five years in the Welsh capital and made 175 appearances for the Bluebirds – during a spell that also saw him feature for the national side.

The defender's final game in Cardiff colours came at the age of 36 years, 9 months and 5 days old – a 1-1 draw with Crewe Alexandra at The Alexandra Stadium on the final day of the 2003/04 season.

Cardiff was the final stop in Kevin Campbell's impressive career, one that started at Arsenal and saw him feature for the likes of Nottingham Forest, Everton, and West Bromwich Albion.

Having joined on a free transfer ahead of the 2006/07 campaign, Campbell struggled to find his feet in the Welsh capital and didn't score once in his 19 appearances for the club.

The striker's final game for the Bluebirds came in February 2007 at the age of 37 years and 16 days old – meaning he tops our list.

Cardiff were beaten by West Brom at the Hawthorns with Campbell coming off the bench late on.