George Elokobi's Maidstone United miracle, eating venomous snakes and Ted Lasso cameo
BirminghamLive takes a look at the career of former Wolverhampton Wanderers defender George Elokobi as he looks to guide his Maidstone United team into the FA Cup quarter-finals
Former Wolves defender George Elokobi stands on the brink of a historic achievement as his Maidstone United team travel to Coventry City in the FA Cup fifth round on Monday evening.
The National League South team will travel to Mark Robins' side, hoping to cause another giant killing after knocking out Ipswich Town in round four. It is an incredible story in so many ways with their manager playing a vital role in Maidstone's unlikely run to the last 16.
From tragedy as a child to being on the verge of a monumental achievement, BirminghamLive has taken a look at the remarkable life and career of Ekobi...
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Tough upbringing
The Cameroonian was just 11 years old when his father died. "I was his little prize child, I was the baby," he told the Times. "It became survival of the fittest."
He went from having two meals a day to one, eating wild berries, catching fish in dirty rivers as well as killing and eating venomous snakes. His stepmum did not want him to play football in case he got injured because they would not have been able to afford any medical bills. Aged 13, he told her: "One day I’m going to bring the crowd to this house through football." In 2011, when he returned as a Premier League player with Wolves, there was a crowd of excited locals gathered at her home.
Playing career
The defender began his career at Dulwich Hamlet before moving to Colchester United in July 2004 on a free transfer. Colchester went on to loan him to Chester City the following January but he returned after just a month.
Elokobi's most successful period came at Wolves who he joined from Colchester in January 2008. The centre-back went on to make over 100 appearances in Old Gold and played a role in their Championship title-winning campaign back in 2008/09. He then went on to have loan spells at Nottingham Forest and Bristol City before leaving Wolves on a free transfer to join Oldham in August 2014.
During his time at Oldham, he had a brief loan spell at Braintree before completing a move to Leyton Orient in July 2017 where he spent just over 18 months before moving to Aldershot. After a season at Aldershot, he moved to Maidstone on a free transfer before retiring in May 2022.
Managerial debut
Elokobi was named the permanent manager of Maidstone United in March 2023 after a spell as caretaker boss. However, he was unable to help them avoid relegation as they dropped down to the national league.
They currently sit eighth in the National League South but it is their FA Cup run which has captured the hearts and imagination of neutrals. Their shock 2-1 win in the fourth round over Championship promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town at Portman Road saw them become the first side outside of the top five tiers to progress this far in the competition since Blyth Spartans in 1978.
Ted Lasso cameo
In a recent series of the hit US TV show, Ted Lasso, Elokobi and fellow ex-Premier League star Jay Bothroyd appeared in a scene which saw them walk out as Manchester City players at the Etihad. The scene involved the main character Lasso, played by American actor Jason Sudeikis, as the head coach of fictional Premier League club AFC Richmond taking on Pep Guardiola's team.