Michael Kightly

Michael John Kightly (born 24 January 1986) is an English former professional footballer who played as a winger.

Kightly was rejected as a schoolboy by Tottenham Hotspur but worked his way back to League football with Southend United.

He again slipped into the non-League though, before being spotted by Wolverhampton Wanderers while starring for Grays Athletic.

His stay was short and was soon back in professional football, signing a two-year scholarship with Southend United on 16 December 2002 following a five-game trial period.

He made his league debut for the club on 3 May 2003, in a 1–0 defeat at Exeter City.

Although featuring in all their cup games of this time, scoring once in the Football League Trophy against Luton Town, he made only 13 league appearances over three different seasons for them.

On 22 October 2004, he joined Farnborough Town on loan, spending three months with the club before returning to Southend United on 20 January 2005.

He was released at the end of the season by Southend manager Steve Tilson.

Conference side Grays Athletic signed Kightly, where he scored 15 league goals in his first season, and won the FA Trophy.

He began the 2006–07 season still with Grays, and had scored 10 goals by November.

Such form caught the eye of scouts at Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers, to whom he completed a two-month emergency loan move on 17 November 2006.

He would subsequently return to play against Grays for Wolves in a pre-season friendly, which was a condition of the permanent deal later made between the clubs.

Kightly scored his first ever league goal to earn a 1–0 victory at Queens Park Rangers in December 2006.

His form at Grays Athletic led him to be dubbed "The Ryan Giggs of non-league football", and it was reported that Sir Alex Ferguson was interested in signing Kightly for Manchester United.

His performances saw him come runner-up for Wolves' Player of the Year 2006–07, losing out to goalkeeper Matt Murray.

After scoring two goals in five games, his loan move was made permanent when he signed a two-and-a-half-year contract for a nominal fee on New Year's Day 2007.

He became a first-team regular in the remainder of the season, and his six goals helped the club into a play-off position.

Kightly signed a new four-year deal with Wolves in June 2007, after reported interest from Manchester United, Aston Villa, and Everton.

His first full season with the club was severely hampered by a persistent ankle injury suffered in November 2007, from which he twice tried to return to first team football, eventually undergoing surgery in February 2008.

Kightly had further injuries that kept him out of the Wolves side, finally returning to play in the final four fixtures as the club narrowly missed the play-off places on goal difference.

He signed an improved new four-year deal with the club in June 2008.

During the 2008–09 season, he contributed eight goals, as Wolves led the promotion race.

He soon became a vital player for Wolves and was pivotal in their promotion to the Premier League in 2009.

However injuries disrupted his time in the top flight before the club's relegation after three seasons.

However, his campaign was prematurely halted by a broken metatarsal sustained during a reserve game in March 2009.

He returned to make his first appearances in the Premier League, following promotion, by September but again suffered another injury after needing an ankle operation.

Although planned to return early in the 2010–11 season, he suffered a further setback and was therefore omitted from the club's 25-man squad list for the first part of the campaign.

He eventually made his return to first team action after 16 months on the sidelines from various injuries, against Newcastle United in April 2011.

In October 2011, he joined Championship side Watford in an initial one-month loan deal to regain match fitness, making his debut on 15 October 2011 in a 2–0 loss against Crystal Palace.

He joined Stoke City in August 2012 for an undisclosed fee.

Kightly spent the 2012–13 season at Stoke before joining Burnley on loan in August 2013.

This was later extended to run until January 2012, during which time Kightly made twelve appearances for the Hornets, scoring three times.

Following his loan spell, Kightly returned to Wolves and managed his longest period of Premier League football.

However, he could not prevent the team from suffering relegation at the end of a troubled campaign that saw the departure of manager Mick McCarthy.

Despite Wolves struggling Kightly hit a rich vein of form towards the end of the season scoring three goals against Aston Villa, Bolton Wanderers and Stoke City.

In August 2012 it was revealed by Wolves that Kightly was in talks with Stoke City, having rejected a contract extension to instead remain in the top flight.

After signing for Stoke Kightly revealed that after missing 15 months of football at Wolves it left him fighting against depression.

Kightly joined Premier League side Stoke City on 8 August 2012 for an undisclosed fee.

After helping the Clarets gain promotion to the Premier League he made the move permanent in June 2014.

Born in Basildon, Kightly played schoolboy football for Tottenham Hotspur but was released and subsequently picked up by his hometown team, non-League Basildon United.