Dean Smith has been praised for speaking candidly about his father's dementia, with a Birmingham Live columnist describing the Aston Villa manager's comments as inspirational and raw.
The writer, who watched his own father battle the disease, said Smith's emotional account of his father prior to the play-off final resonated deeply. He said he had always respected Smith as a manager but now had an even greater appreciation of the man.
The columnist recounted his own experience, including the heartbreaking moment his father no longer knew his name, and how the disease made conversation impossible, though his father could still whistle every note of an Andrea Bocelli song.
He stressed the importance of talking about dementia and raising awareness, and revealed he had suffered depression after his father's death, something he had never spoken about before.
He concluded that Smith's words made him cry but were important for many others going through the same thing, and hoped Smith realised how significant they were.
