New boy reveals personal anguish

Stoke new boy Michael Kightly is looking forward to a bright future after revealing his battle against depression at Wolves.

The 26-year-old, who has just sealed an instant return to the Premier League with the Potters after suffering relegation last season, claims he got so down about his injury problems it was starting to affect his home life. Kightly spent a total of 15 months on the sidelines at Molineux after undergoing double knee surgery, before proving his worth with a strong run in the side towards the back end of the last campaign. However, he admits it is only with hindsight that he now realises how much the whole episode had got to him, having previously enjoyed a meteoric rise in the game with Wolves following his switch from non-league Grays Athletic in January 2007. Kightly told BBC Stoke: "I was low, to be honest. Looking back I was depressed. "If someone would have told me that at the time I would never have agreed with them or asked for help. I needed it, it affected my personal life. "My career has gone up and down the whole way, but that injury was the lowest of the low for me. "I thought that was me finished, and that injury has made me a better person and made me not only appreciate the game but understand the game, as it scared the life out of me. "It was a sad day when I left, but I'm really happy to be here and look forward to having a good career at Stoke. "I think I showed last year that I'm capable of playing in the Premier League and I just want to keep showing people that."