If ever there was the perfect advert for how non-league players can make the grade higher up the footballing food chain, then Michael Kightly has often been used to provide it.
Well it's not just the Wolves winger who has graduated from Grays Athletic to Football League success, as some of this season's promotion winners will readily testify.
Because amongst those who have been upwardly mobile in the various divisions this season, there's a veritable 'Who's Who' of former Grays players who enjoyed FA Trophy success with the club three years ago.
No fewer than six players and two of the management team from the squad which beat Woking at Upton Park have been promoted this season, illustrating just what a hotbed the Essex club has become for young aspiring professionals.
Kights reels off the list.
"My manager and assistant at Grays when I was there - Mark Stimson and the former Wolves keeper Scott Barrett - got promotion through the League Two play-offs with Gillingham," he says.
"They've signed Dennis Oli and Jonathan Nutter so they obviously went up as well.
"My old room-mate Gary Hooper went up through the League One play-offs with Scunthorpe and Aaron McLean, who's a good mate of mine, got automatic promotion to the Championship with Peterborough.
"And Glenn Poole got promoted with Brentford from League Two.
"All of those were my team-mates at Grays and I got promoted as well so it's been quite a summer for all of us!"
Kights admits the group have been in close contact discussing their successes but haven't yet managed to plan a potential promotion party!
And the Wolves winger hopes all their exploits will be viewed as inspiration to other players that there are opportunities to make the grade.
"We were all on the Blackberry Messenger the other week having a chat!" says Kights.
"It's hard for us all to meet up because of holidays and everything, but I'm really close to Aaron McLean and will be going away with him and his girlfriend this summer.
"When the other boys get back for pre-season I'm sure we'll try to fix up some sort of celebration together.
"It's great to see so many players from Grays having gone on to achieve in the league.
"I've said before that it's almost unbelievable for me that the gaffer took a punt on me for 25 grand and then two-and-a-half years later I'm in the Premier League.
"It's a fairytale and one I hope will carry on.
"But when you do think back and realise that three years ago I'd suffered the heartache of being knocked out of the Conference play-offs with Grays and now I'm looking forward to the Premier League, it's unbelievable.
"Hopefully it's an inspiration to other players from Non-League to think that if I could do it they can do it as well.
"I definitely think there are players at that level who could play higher up.
"That's six of us with Grays who have got promoted - as well as the manager and assistant manager - and all of the players mentioned have been top players in their teams.
"I'm sure they'll all have the chance to play at the top level soon."
The winger meanwhile continues to plough a largely lone furrow at Compton as he steps up his rehabilitation from the broken metatarsal and hip problem which ended his season early.
The hip is now fine, and there is also light at the end of the tunnel with the foot, not to mention a well-deserved holiday!
"I'm just waiting on the all-clear to start running which hopefully I'll get next Friday," he said.
"I'm pretty sure I'll be fine for pre-season which starts on June 29.
"Hopefully I'll be joining in with that and then getting off to Australia for the tour.
"It's been a long old slog coming in so much but it's got to be done.
"And coming in every day I don't really feel I've had the time to chill out yet.
"I've been doing longer hours than I would be doing if I was fit.
"I'm not bothered by that at all because I want to get fit but I'm also looking forward to a holiday, which is coming up in the middle of June."
