'The perfect EFL striker' Inside Walsall striker Levi Amantchi's remarkable rise from non-league
Former Wolves defender George Elokobi enjoyed a remarkable rise from non-league to the Premier League and is confident new Walsall striker Levi Amantchi can continue to climb the footballing ladder himself.
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Elokobi, who signed Amantchi for Maidstone in 2023, played an instrumental role in his journey to the Football League over the past 18 months.
But when he first arrived at the Gallagher Stadium, it was clear that the towering frontman was a work in progress.
"I remember we played our first pre-season friendly, some of the fans were saying I would get the sack if I had a striker like him," the Maidstone boss recalls.
"But I just laughed and said he will come good. We knew that he was the unfinished article but I saw the promise, he just needed polishing and needed to understand the game more tactically."
It was a brutal induction to life at Maidstone but Amantchi was eager to learn, and most importantly, willing to put in the hours.
"There was a lot of information being taken on and he had to take it on board as quickly as possible. It was about managing him as a person, managing his minutes and managing his load," Elokobi explains.
"We did that in pre-season so he didn't just play all the games. Then, pre-season was over and we got to work. He was out on the training ground doing extra work as early as 8:30am and Levi wanted to do it.
