Wolves icon says he’s the only player who could’ve got away with crazy prank on Mick McCarthy

EXCLUSIVE: Mick McCarthy only would’ve allowed one player to get away with a hilarious practical joke during a live broadcast.

On May 22, 2011, Wolverhampton Wanderers battled back from 3-0 to 3-2 against Blackburn Rovers, to stay in the Premier League. So, understandably, following the final whistle, the team was very happy, with one particularly excited individual left unable to contain his emotions.

George Elokobi pulled a prank on Mick McCarthy

George Elokobi had a fantastic relationship with Mick McCarthy, which he took advantage of during the manager’s post-match interview. While McCarthy was giving his opinions on the match, the Wolves icon ran over and sprayed him with water.

In an exclusive interview with Sporf, via Midnite, Elokobi reminisced: “I think there’s only one player who could get away with doing that, and that player’s name is George Elokobi. The season was such a marathon, and the pressure was on us to try and keep this great club in the Premier League. For us to be able to do that on Survival Sunday, the emotions took over, and I was delighted for everyone connected to Wolverhampton Wanderers because we started that game being 3-0 down at half-time, and nobody gave us a chance to survive on the day. We put in a second-half performance to stay in the league.

“I’ll tell you this now, that’s one of the best defeats I’ve had in my time in football. To lose the game 3-2, and keep this fantastic football club in the Premier League was the objective when we started in pre-season. We achieved it as a club, so we were so delighted. I saw the gaffer was doing his interview and I was so happy for him. I just went over and covered him in water, it was nice to see his reaction as well, but that was Mick McCarthy for you—he was a manager, but he also had that friendly side too. That video became iconic. And for our player-manager relationship, it shows the sort of environment Mick McCarthy created for us to flourish.”

George Elokobi opens up about whether Kevin Doyle’s goal against Manchester United, was really his

During an epic clash in 2011 with Manchester United, Wolves ended the side’s 24-game unbeaten run. After going 1-0 down, Elokobi hit the back of the net to equal the score, before Kevin Doyle bagged the winner. However, many believe the ball hit the Cameroonian before beating the goalkeeper.

When asked who really scored that day, the fan favourite replied: “George Elokobi, 150%. I have to say, it wasn’t just about scoring, it was about winning. They’ve always been one of the best teams across the globe. To compete against such a fantastic outfit was a testament to how far we’d come as a team. To score the first goal and then to get the second, because I know that came off my big shoulders, I carry big shoulders for a reason, was amazing. To go up in the first half, and then see the game out in the second half against terrific world class players was a testament to our togetherness and how hard we worked for each other. At the end of the game, seeing the reaction from the Wolves faithful, is a memory I still have to this day.”

Elokobi was speaking to Midnite, the new principal partner of Wolverhampton Wanderers for the 2026/27 campaign, as the UK bookmaker gave back to fans in the form of free season tickets, via its “This Season’s On Us” initiative.

Featured Image Credit: Getty