Stuart Pearce has insisted Michael Kightly's England Under-21 future is secure - even if he is playing Championship football next season.The Wolves winger recently won the FourFourTwo Young Player of the Year award for the Football League and was reported to have interested a host of Premier League clubs before being struck down with an ankle injury.

Pearce, who has handed Kightly three Under-21 caps, believes the Wanderers midfielder deserves to be in his plans and admitted he would have started in next week's Molineux friendly with Poland had he not been sidelined.

He said: "What he's done so far with Wolves, he certainly deserves to be in the Under-21 squad and he's catching the eye in the Championship. From my point of view I'm not too fussed whether people are playing in the Premiership or the Championship. It's their ability on any given day when I go and watch them.

"If I'm being honest I think Wolves have missed him over the months he's been away, his creativity on the right hand side," he added.

"I wouldn't be speaking out of turn by saying he would have been starting on Tuesday if he was fit and available, no doubt about it."

More Football News from TEAMtalk