Arguably one of the worst player to play for PNE in the recent years? Maybe that's a little harsh but he is well remembered by fans for numerous reasons. More renowned for his long hair and height (6ft 4 in, to be exact) than his footballing ability, the Greek born South African raised striker signed from FC Basel in 2002, when Preston was under the command of the frighteningly incompetent Craig Brown. He was only able to muster up 17 appearances in two years and notched up 5 goals, (which actually makes him sound better than he was).
One of his most memorable appearances was in a 5-0 victory over Walsall in March 2003. Where he bagged a brace, which must be said wasn't the best two goals you will ever see, the ball hit him more than anything else. But nevertheless after the game, Koumantarakis said he saw Preston as a stepping stone to greater things and that he could not wait to be playing in the Premiership! Comical stuff.
His time at North End, maybe fortunately for us fans, was plagued by injury and he eventually left in 2004 and his career petered out before eventually retiring in 2006.
Koumantarakis never lived up to expectations. He was obviously a good player as he represented South Africa and even played in the Champions League. But his career was all but over when he joined Preston, despite his terrible and frustrating performances, the icon of George Koumantarakis, with his shoulder length hair and incredibly long name, will live long in PNE fans memories.
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