MICHAEL Kightly says he hoping to build on his first league start in five months and only his second in almost two years.

The 25-year-old played most of Saturday’s defeat to Tottenham before being replaced by Matt Jarvis.
 
“I was pleased to get a start,” he said.

“I was cramping up towards the end but I’ve not had a Premier League start for a long time and the more I can play the fitter I will become and be able to last longer on the pitch.

“You can play all the reserve games in the world and nothing compares to first team football.

“The tempo of first team football is so much quicker and there is so much more on the line.

“The only way I can get those fitness back is by playing in those games.

“It was a tough game and I feel like I did okay and that’s what people said to me when I came off.

“I felt good and sharp and, touch wood, I’ve had no problems with my knees since last season which is really pleasing.

“Hopefully Saturday will prove to be a stepping stone for me to build on and try and get a few more games under my belt and really push on.”

Kightly says Wolves can no longer go gung-ho with their wingers, like he and Jarvis frequently were allowed to do in the Championship.

“As a team we need to be more patient and more solid,” he said.

“In the Championship myself and Jarvo could almost play as we liked in terms of going forward.

“And with that team we had it almost seemed that if one team scored two we could score three to win the game.

“In the Premier League it’s not like that at all and all of us who are wingers know we have got to be solid and patient and do our bits and bobs in the right areas.”