Former Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has seen everything he expected of a George Elokobi team.

McCarthy accepted an invitation from his old left-back to watch Maidstone’s FA Cup third-round win over Stevenage at the Gallagher Stadium.

He liked what he saw as the Stones pulled off a 1-0 upset against their League 1 opponents although he “went through the wringer” towards the end as Boro chased an equaliser.

McCarthy will be watching on TV when United travel to his old club Ipswich in round four on Saturday (12.30pm).

He managed the Tractor Boys for six years between 2012 and 2018, taking them to the Championship play-offs.

They were relegated the year after he left but have rebuilt and are challenging for the Premier League under Kieran McKenna.

Maidstone will need all the qualities McCarthy witnessed against Stevenage to stand any chance of a famous upset.

But with Elokobi in charge, Maidstone will give absolutely everything.

“George had asked me to come to a game before,” said McCarthy, 64.

“With the cup tie, I thought, ‘Yeah, I’ll go down and watch that’. It was great. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

“It put me through the wringer in those last 10 minutes, and I’ve been through the wringer enough, but it was great excitement.

“He’s such a lovely guy and he puts his heart and soul into everything.

“He does things properly, he treats people well and I was thrilled for him.

“In terms of work rate, determination and will to win, he’s got all of that in his team and I’m sure he wouldn’t tolerate anybody who didn’t want to be that way and work for the team.

“The team ethic, that’s what he would have, and you could quite clearly see that.

“Stevenage, they’re doing well in League 1 and they looked to have one or two good players

“And yet, having got the lead, Maidstone weren’t going to relinquish it, that’s for sure. They kept at it.

“It’s great to get that recognition with a cup win.

“Whatever he does, he does it wholeheartedly and he’ll get the best out of people because of the way he is.

“You listen to him speak after that win, it wasn’t about George Elokobi, it was about everybody else that had contributed to him getting there and that’s how he was.

“He was very selfless as a player, gave everything for the team and that’s one of the reasons I loved him as a player and a guy.”

“Bloody hell!” was McCarthy’s reaction when he heard the draw for the fourth round.

The former Republic of Ireland manager is better placed than most to appreciate the size of Ipswich.

“It’s a huge club and they’re flying,” said McCarthy.

“They’re doing really well. Kieran McKenna’s doing a great job.

“Some of the football they’re playing, they’re superb, they really are.

“I’m delighted for them, the way they’re back at it and I’m hoping they get promoted.”

Elokobi is playing his cards close to his chest in terms of Maidstone’s approach on Saturday.

Whichever way he goes, McCarthy knows his old player will handle his biggest day in management just fine.

“You either go and try and be tough and resolute and see if you can keep them out,” said McCarthy.

“Or you go and have a go at it and make the most of the day and give a good account of yourselves.

“I’m not saying if you give a good account of yourselves, you just accept you’re going to lose.

“You go and play the way you play, be tough, be resolute, but stick to your principles and do what you do.

“If they do that, who knows on any given day, but I think Ipswich are brilliant at the moment.

“George has been in the Premier League with us at Wolves and he knows what it’s all about.

“I think he’ll be very calm and calculated about what he wants from the players and how he expects them to approach it and what’s acceptable and what’s not.

“It’s a great tie for them and if they get a replay it’ll be on television again.”

Maidstone co-owner Terry Casey believes Elokobi is destined for big things in management.

McCarthy, who took the defender to Wolves from Colchester in 2008, also feels he has what it takes to push on in management.

“It looks like he’s taken to it,” said McCarthy, who won Championship titles with Sunderland and Wolves and took Ireland to the last 16 of the 2002 World Cup.

“I haven’t worked with him as a coach, or anything like that, but he’ll have studied the game because whatever he does, he does it wholeheartedly.

“I think he has all the attributes to do it and he’s learning at that lower level.

“I think he’ll rise up and move on and do something else.

“I’m certain he will, the way things are going for him now, and I hope that continues because he deserves it for the work he’s put into it.

“From being a player that came out of Colchester to us at Wolves and played in the Premier League, he’s gone back down to the National League as a manager trying to work his way up.

“He’ll take some stopping because he’ll be determined to do it.”

Elokobi treasures his relationship with his former boss and was chuffed to welcome him to the Gallagher earlier this month.

They speak regularly but McCarthy, who began his managerial career at Millwall in 1992, says the Cameroonian is his own man.

“We’re always in touch,” said McCarthy.

“If I can ever help him - I don’t know how - he knows I’m there.

“I’ve experienced a lot over more than 1,000 games so I’ve got a fair bit of experience but he’s paddling his own canoe, George.

“He’s doing his own stuff and he’s doing well.”