George Friend is hoping to take a leaf out of Michael Kightly’s book and become the latest Championship star for Wolves after emerging from the lower leagues.
The 20-year-old left-back arrived at Molineux having played just four games in the Football League since Exeter’s promotion back to the full-time ranks via the play-offs.
Kightly made just two starts in the League for Southend before drifting into non-League with Grays, where his sizzling form saw Wolves make one of the biggest bargain signings of recent times for £25,000.
George Elokobi, who started with Dulwich Hamlet after playing Sunday parks football, was another nugget Wolves gambled on which looks to have paid off handsomely.
Now Friend hopes to follow in their footsteps.
“To see the likes of Michael Kightly and George Elokobi having come from non-League not long ago and do well here can only be encouraging,” said Friend.
“They have done brilliantly so to see what they have done and how they have done it, I can only work towards that.”
Like his two new former non-League team-mates, Friend has a refreshing confidence and determination to succeed at a much higher level than he has been playing at.
And like Kightly and Elokobi, Friend is convinced he is in the right place to continue his progression.
“There’s a lot of excitement – not nerves, but anticipation,” he said. “Only having been at one club before, I don’t know what to expect.
“You’ve got to aim high. I’m not expecting to turn up and walk into the team, but I’m definitely going to train hard, work hard and give it my best.
“Just coming into the training ground and seeing the size of the place and how brand new everything is, it’s a real honour to be able to train and play here.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge of progressing and hopefully I can keep playing well – certainly with the coaching and facilities here, I’m sure I can only improve.”
Friend’s route into full-time football was unusual but showed he had an eye on his future, after staying on at school to complete his ‘A’ levels.
His emergence is even more stunning when you consider he has only been involved in the pro game for two years.
“I had a funny start to my football career – I was never full-time until I signed as a pro, so I never did a scholarship because I did my ‘A’ levels,” he said.
“I only did one day a week of football but Alex Inglethorpe (former Exeter boss) was kind enough to sign me as a pro, so I’ve only done two or three years of full-time football.
“I did my ‘A’ levels in Geography, PE and Design and Technology and I was looking to go to university doing something sports-minded or related to design.”
Despite his tender years, Friend has already had his fair share of experience.
Friend joined the Grecians at the age of 10 and came through the club’s centre of excellence, making his debut in April 2006 when he played against Forest Green in a goalless draw.
Loan spells at Team Bath and Tiverton Town gave him his first prolonged spell of action before being given the chance to establish himself at Exeter following the sale of Billy Jones to Crewe in June 2007.
Injuries saw him play as one of three centre-halves in a 3-4-3 formation when he first broke through, before he settled down at left-back and was a key performer in the side that won promotion back to the League last season.
And despite playing at some of football’s outposts, Friend has also had a taste of the big time after playing in front of 42,511 at Wembley in the 1-0 play-off final win over Cambridge in May.
Now he’s ready for some more.
“It helped that I was part of a promotion-winning team – the team was on a high so it was good to be part of that,” he said.
“I’m very ambitious and I believe I can play in the Championship, but I’m just happy to be here.
“I’m still young and there are parts of my game I need to develop and I’ve been told what they are. But I’m looking forward to getting stuck in.”
West Ham, Fulham, Crystal Palace and Plymouth were all interested in Friend, and Wolves were successful after six different bids were rejected by Exeter.
Despite the interest, Friend has his feet fixed firmly on the ground however.
“I was hoping I’d get a move, although I wouldn’t have been disappointed if I hadn’t,” he said.
At 6ft 1ins, he’s tall for a left-back but has a cultured left foot and believes he has the qualities to do well at Wolves.
“It’s not easy talking about yourself, but I feel I’m quite a good athlete, I can get up and down and I like to attack from left-back as well,” he said.
“I like to overlap the left midfielder and definitely get involved with the attacking play.”
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