Remember ex-Wolves and Burnley star Michael Kightly? His life looks very different now | OneFootball

Michael Kightly enjoyed an incredible rise from non-league football to the Premier League with Wolves, but his life now looks very different.

Michael Kightly will always be remembered at Wolverhampton Wanderers as one of the great bargains of the Mick McCarthy era.

After he was released by Southend United, the winger rebuilt his reputation with Grays Athletic before Wolves took a chance on him in 2006.

That decision proved crucial, with Kightly becoming an integral player at Molineux, starting on the wing as Wolves reached the Premier League, while he also featured at Under-21 level for England.

After leaving Wolves, he spent time at Stoke, Burnley and Burton Albion, before winding down his playing days.

Now 40, the former wideman is a long way removed from his previous line of work, with his life looking rather different in 2026.

Wolves struck gold with Michael Kightly bargain

After struggling to establish himself at local side Southend United, the Basildon-born winger dropped into non-league football with Grays and quickly began attracting attention again after scoring 24 times from the right wing.

Wolves would sign him on loan in November 2006, before the transfer became permanent in January for just £25,000.

Remarkably, Wolves boss McCarthy had never watched the winger, instead trusting assistant manager Ian Evans, saying: "I had never seen him play before, but 'Taff' had and that was good enough for me."

He would quickly establish himself in the Championship, becoming one of the standout members of the young side McCarthy was putting together.

As Wolves were promoted in 2009, he made 38 league appearances, scored eight times, and notched a sensational 19 assists, with the Old Gold winning the Championship title ahead of West Midlands rivals Birmingham.

His Wolves career was subsequently disrupted by injury, with the winger spending 15 months sidelined at Molineux, which limited his opportunities after promotion.

He did eventually work his way back into the Premier League side, finishing the 20111/12 campaign with three goals and one assist after a short loan spell at Watford.

Then, his six-year spell in the Black Country came to an end following Wolves' relegation to the Championship, resulting in a move to Stoke City that summer.

Michael Kightly played his part in two Burnley promotions

After just one full season in North Staffordshire, Kightly would move on, with Burnley signing the winger on a season-long loan, reuniting him with Sean Dyche, who had managed him during his short Watford stint.

After a torrid period with injuries, the winger would finally establish himself again, scoring five times and registering six times as the Clarets were promoted to the Premier League.

Crucially, Kightly made 32 starts to leave the injuries in the past finally.

The Lancashire club moved quickly to keep him following promotion, with Kightly signing a three-year deal after making the move from Stoke.

Burnley would drop back down to the second tier again, but he would then make 18 appearances as Dyche's side bounced straight back up as champions.

After making just nine appearances in the opening half of the following campaign, he would join Burton Albion on loan, with the Brewers fighting for Championship survival.

In a slightly cruel twist for Wolves supporters, he scored on his Albion debut just days later as Burton beat Wolves 2-1 at the Pirelli Stadium.

Burnley released him at the end of that season, with the Clarets surviving in the top flight, bringing an end to his spell at Turf Moor.

Michael Kightly went in a very different direction after football

Following his Burnley departure, Kightly returned to Southend United and announced his retirement from the professional game in 2019.

He briefly played with Rushall Olympic the following year, with the winger living in the Midlands, while he himself had become a Wolves fan during his Molineux days.

Now, his professional life looks considerably different, with the former Wolves and Burnley winger being a director of Rapid Furniture Ltd, a Brierley Hill-based company in which Kightly has been registered as a director since 2022.

Football has not completely left his life, though, with the winger travelling to the United States on Wolves' behalf for the Premier League Mornings Live event in 2025, while he was called upon by the club when they launched the new fanzone at the start of the 2026/27 season.

But his working week now revolves more around furniture than football. However, he is fondly remembered at both Molineux and Turf Moor, and fans will always wonder what could have been if not for his injury-riddled spell following Wolves' Premier League ascent.