Mick McCarthy today backed George Elokobi to continue his improvement having already chalked up 19 Barclays Premier League appearances in his first top flight season.

Elokobi has come back from a serious and in some cases career-threatening knee injury sustained at the start of the Championship season, and has shared left back duties during the current campaign with Stephen Ward.

Currently the man in possession, the Cameroon-born defender made a particularly telling contribution in Saturday's goalless draw at Fulham, nicking the ball off Damien Duff to prevent the Irishman being clean through.

"George has been terrific," said Mick.

"At times when it doesn't go for him with the ball at his feet and he might get the bird a little bit we have to remember where he has come from.

"Coming to us from Colchester and learning his trade, he damaged every ligament in his knee and his surgeon couldn't believe how quickly he came back.

"He'd been doing great up until that game at Ipswich, but since the injury he's come back and has been remarkable.

"He's quick and he's powerful, and from being as raw as he was he is turning into a Premier League player.

"So we should take our hats off to him not just for his performance on Saturday but the fact he is playing as well as he is."

Mick has been delighted with the backing of the Wolves support this season, with the travelling following of over 3,000 once again making themselves heard from start to finish at Craven Cottage.

"I'm loving it this season, the club is great and so are the fans," he added.

"The amount of fans we had there on Saturday and the noise they made, they deserve to stay up."