BY GEORGE, WE ALWAYS HAD BELIEF

BY

GEORGE ELOKOBI returned to the scene of his darkest day as a player with the simple message for his underdogs to believe.

Maidstone’s manager tore three of the four major ligaments in his left knee when playing for Wolves at Portman Road in August 2008.

The surgeon who put the joint back together said it was 50-50 if he would ever play again.

But Elokobi was taught from a young age that half the battle is to have faith and he recovered in time to play at the end of that season, months ahead of the most optimistic schedules.

That this visit to Suffolk brought the highlight of the 37-year-old’s managerial career to date provided sweet redemption.

And first goalscorer Lamar Reynolds said the manager’s pre-match instructions stayed true to the maxim that he has carried through his career.

“Our gaffer puts it in our head that you’ve got to believe,” said Reynolds. “Anything can happen in football and our belief was strong enough to bring us the victory.

“He emphasised us believing and trusting each other, making sure we knew we were capable of winning the game if we stick to the script we’ve planned in the weeks before.

“He kept nagging us about believing, believing, believing. And when you believe in yourself, things like this can happen.”

Maidstone host Punjab United in the Kent Senior Cup tomorrow night.

And Elokobi (above) knows he has a big task on his hands to ensure his players return to earth in time.

“That’s the challenge as a manager, that’s my job to make sure I manage them right,” he said. “The magnitude of this game will have taken it out of them.

“There’s a bigger picture, it’s not about the here and now. We’ll put out a team that is competitive and give Punjab the respect they deserve.”