It's a vastly different Michael Kightly that will walk into Loftus Road tomorrow than on his last visit, almost two years to the day.

 

Seventy-one Wolves appearances, 21 goals, the small matter of six England -under-21 caps not to mention increased attention from fans, the media and opposition clubs, has seen to that.

 

It was on December 16, 2006, that a Molineux star was born as Kightly - four minutes into the second half of his second Wolves start - popped home the winner in a 1-0 win at Queens Park Rangers.

 

It was to signal the start of an upwardly mobile ascent which - bar the injury misery afflicting the second half of last season - has barely even paused for breath.

 

The personality is the same - affable, easy-going but in footballing terms fiercely ambitious - but the player is far more potent, knowing and worldly-wise.

 

But pause for memory from that chilly afternoon in West London and the Wolves winger can't hide the smiles.

"Is it nearly two years? Wow. That's where I think it all really started for me at Wolves," he recalls.

 

"It was a great win that day and nice for me to get my first goal.

 

"I missed out playing at QPR last year because of my injury but it would be nice to go back there and get the same result again.

 

"I'd made my debut at Southend and then didn't play against Leicester before returning at QPR.

 

"I remember the first half being very cagey and I hardly touched the ball - it wasn't a great game to be fair.

 

"Then in the second half it really opened up.

 

"I scored my goal shortly after half time and I probably should have gone on and got a couple more.

 

"I had a shot from about 30 yards which the keeper saved well and went through one-on-one and tried to slot Potts in when I perhaps should have had a go myself.

 

"But to get my first goal was such a great feeling and it topped it off that it proved the winner."

 

Kights had been kept back following his November arrival, and even after his debut at Roots Hall was left out for that Leicester game as Lewis Gobern returned.

 

But once back in at QPR, and once he'd got his goal, there was no removing him from the team again.

 

"I remember my first game at Southend was a difficult one, it was very scrappy and we managed a 1-0 win," he says.

 

"Everyone just did a decent job and it wasn't a nice game to watch or play in.

 

"Then I played at QPR and as I've said before after I got my goal I felt seven foot tall.

 

"My confidence went through the roof and it's just what I needed - it was great to get it so early on in my Wolves career, and a massive stepping stone for me.

 

"And from there my goal ratio has never been too bad.

 

"I got nine in my first season, five last year when I was injured for a long time, and seven so far this.

 

"What's important now is that I've just got to keep it going."

 

Of course the now 22-year-old was still something of an unknown quantity when making just his second appearance since joining Wolves from Grays those 24 months ago.

 

Not so now, as Kights finds himself one of the first names on opposition hitlists for "doubling up" and trying to stop the winger in his tracks.

 

It's something he takes as a compliment, and indeed believes the extra attention has actually contributed to him raising his standards.

"I definitely think I'm a much better player now than I was two years ago," he explains.

 

"I'm more established with that little bit more experience.

 

"I'm learning all the time and will do for many years to come so hopefully I'm still going to get better.

 

"There probably weren't that many people who knew about me then but to me it's a positive than people want to try and stop me now.

 

"If people were playing us and saying 'don't worry about that Kightly, he's no good' then obviously I wouldn't be happy.

 

"It's a confidence booster if I get extra attention but it also means I know I have to do well.

 

"Opposition teams are probably keeping more of an eye on me now and so I have to up my game but that's what I want - to keep improving as a player because I want to get right to the top."

 

So back to the present, and the latest tough rung on Wolves' Championship ladder.

 

QPR, under new boss Paulo Sousa, are only two points adrift of the play-offs and with a quality-filled squad which has already prompted Mick McCarthy to suggest tomorrow is a "dangerous" fixture.

 

Kights agrees.

 

"It's another very tough game," he insists.

 

"People might look at it and think QPR aren't doing as well as they should be but they've got a good set of players down there.

 

"I think it's the new manager's first home game as well which will have them well up for it.

 

"Everyone knows they've got a fair bit of dough down there as well and there's a lot of expectation.

 

"Hopefully we can go down there and get the right result.

 

"We'll treat it as we do every other game in the Championship.

 

"We'll go there and try and do what we do best and exert our own pressure on the game with what we can do."

Just as a certain fresh-faced young winger did those two years ago - and he hasn't looked back since."

 

* WANT to re-live that first Kights goal all over again? Click here to read the match report from December, 2006.

 

PICTURED: Blast from the past...Kights celebrates his first Wolves strike in front of the travelling Wolves support.