Much-missed winger Michael Kightly has announced the news to bring festive cheer to Wolves fans everywhere – he is pain-free for the first time in a year.

The former England under-21 international underwent surgery on his left knee 10 days ago in Sweden, to follow a successful similar operation on his right one in a bid to finally cure the inflammation he has had on his patella tendons.

Manager Mick McCarthy revealed yesterday that Kightly, who last played on November 29 last year, is “buzzing” at his brightened prospects.

And the player, who will be 25 next month, now reckons he will be running again in four weeks’ time if he continues to suffer no ill-effects.

He said: “The surgeon was really pleased with how the operation went. He had less fluid to clear out on the left knee than on the right, so I’ve got less swelling which is already a positive.

“I’m back on the bike already whereas with the other knee it took me two to three weeks. This time it’s been five days or so.

“So it went well and if it ends up as good as the right knee I’ll be buzzing.

“That went really well, so much so that the week before I went over to have my left knee done I was outside doing ball work and sprinting.

“For the first time in over a year I didn’t have any pain and that was a really nice feeling.

“When I came back before I always had it there but not as painful sometimes. This time it seems to have taken the pain away completely.

“As long as I don’t rush my rehab, which clearly I’m not going to do, then I’ll be fine.

“I’ve got to carry on having treatment, doing strengthening work and hopefully I’ll be running again maybe four weeks from now.

“From there it will be a case of progressively building things up.”

Kightly is as bubbly as they come when not consumed by the frustration and discomfort of injury.

The relief at not having continual pain in his knees has left him feeling as optimistic as he has in a long time.

He said: “I do feel really positive at the moment. There have been times when I’ve felt really down with how things were going.

“Now I’m feeling really good and looking forward to getting back out there again. And that’s because how I was feeling after having the first knee done.

“The day I was doing the ball work and the sprinting outside I came in and my left knee which hadn’t been operated on was killing me but the right felt fine.

“That proves to me that the first operation had been successful and if the same happens now it’s a case of ‘happy days’.”

But Kightly, who has made just three league starts since a training match accident against Shrewsbury in March 2009, has had too many disappointments to serisously consider being selected in Mick McCarthy’s 25-man squad in January.

He said: “I’m not even thinking about that to be honest. It would be silly of me to start setting targets, especially after being out for so long.

“The last thing I want to do is rush back because my knees feel good and then pull a hamstring or a quad or something else.

“I need to make sure the rest of my body is good as well as my knees because having been out for so long, my body is almost de-conditioned to play football. It will take time to get it re-conditioned again.

“Who knows? We might not have 25 players in January and I may end up in there by default.

“But otherwise it’s about getting myself fit and, if that goes well, maybe get out on loan to try to play some games.

“Then it will be looking towards having a good season here next year.”

News that the hugely popular Kightly appears to be finally over his injury nightmare has been greeted with relief within the squad.

Fellow winger Matt Jarvis has excelled on the Premier League stage to the extent where he has become one of Wolves’ most influential players this season and been linked with a £4million move to Liverpool and Everton next month.

Jarvis is the same age as Kightly and the former Gillingham star believes his fellow wide man can have the same impact on the top flight as he has.

He said: “Michael has been injured for virtually the whole time we’ve been in the Premier League – he’s played a few games but not been fully fit.

“We just hope he can come back now and get back playing again and show everyone what a good player he is.

“Of course, I’m sure he’d have carried that on in the Premier League and will be able to when he comes back.

“It was fantastic when we myself and him were playing on opposite wings. We were attacking all the time and it must have been great to watch for supporters.

“He scored quite a few goals and set a load up in the Championship – he’s one of those players who can take a game by the scruff of the neck.

“He’s tricky – he can jink in and out of defenders and he works extremely hard like everyone else in the team.

“And he gives us another dimension to the squad.”

By Tim Nash