Top 5 Championship talents that never made it in the Premier League

, Top 5 Championship talents that never made it in the Premier League

Michael Kightly

Michael Kightly’s Championship career spans across three clubs, Wolves, Watford and Burnley. His Premier League career follows suit with Stoke replacing Watford, but can you guess which record is more formidable?

In all, he has made 131 Championship appearances, scoring 28 and assisting 37, and this is certainly a good number of games for a player of 28. His Premier League career is not so formidable making just 54 appearances, scoring six and assisting just two, and it is for that reason that he makes this list. Kightly first hit the Premier League as a well documented threat having just completed a campaign in which he scored eight and assisted 19 in the Championship. He provided many goals for Ebanks Blake and Chris Iwelumo in their colossal goalscoring season, despite this he managed just nine games in the top tier assisting just once and scoring none.

The next campaign he was initially left unregistered by Wolves until January when he was brought back into the squad making four appearances in the 10/11 season but contributing nothing. The 11/12 season was much more successful as Kightly made 18 appearances in the top flight, scoring three and assisting once, before making 12 loan appearances for Watford in the Championship where he contributed identical figures of three goals and one assist.

This would be his last season at Wolves before they were relegated and he was snapped up by Stoke City; the early signs were good as he scored on his debut against Reading and played at least an hour in each of the first 10 games in the 12/13 campaign. Kightly soon dropped off though and in a further 12 games he managed just two goals and no assists. The following season he played no part in Stoke’s first three games before signing a loan deal with Burnley. Kightly proved to be a key man for Burnley as they won promotion to the Premier League, scoring five and assisting six, and he was rewarded with a permanent move to the top flight newcomers this summer. Kightly could still prove a key man for Burnley if they are to stay up but so far, the 28 year old hasn’t lived up to the promise that got him seven England U21 caps.

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