Kightly 'delighted' to return

Published Apr. 4, 2011 9:15 a.m. ET

foxsports

The 25-year-old midfielder made his comeback off the bench at St James' Park after 16 months on the sidelines following knee and ankle injuries. Wolves are currently embroiled in a relegation dogfight at the bottom of the Premier League and put in a lacklustre effort, going down 4-1 on Tyneside. But one positive from a terrible afternoon was the return of Kightly, and the former England Under-21 international expressed his joy at making an appearance. "I'm delighted to get minutes on the pitch after being out so long," he said in The Sun. "But the main thing is the result and we're disappointed with our performance. "This was a big opportunity to get something. We didn't even get started and surprised ourselves by how poor we played. "We've got good characters in the dressing room and must knuckle down this week. "The op has done the trick. I hope I can contribute between now and the end of the season."