JUST 12 months on from playing non-league football, Basildon boy Michael Kightly was "buzzing" after making his England Under-21 debut last night.

The former Grays Athletic and Southend United winger, who is starring in the Championship with Wolverhampton Wanderers, played the first half in Stuart Pearce's side's 1-1 draw with Romania at Ashton Gate before being withdrawn.

And he could not stop smiling at the final whistle.

"It was obviously a memorable evening for me and I'm buzzing about it because I certainly wasn't expecting to start," said Kightly.

"I would have liked to have played a bit longer but I played 90 minutes on Sunday at Sheffield Wednesday and to even get a cap at this level at all is unbelievable.

"To be lining up for the second highest England side possible was amazing and definitely the best moment of my career. I can't believe how quickly everything has happened for me."

Kightly, who was scoring for Grays in a 3-0 triumph at Halifax this time last year, almost made a fairytale start to his under 21 career.

With just four minutes on the clock, the ex-Chalvedon School pupil looked set to score with his very first touch - only for Cristian Scutaru to stop him converting a low, left wing cross from Gabriel Agbonlahor.

The speedy Agbonlahor then helped England open the scoring just four minutes later as his low cross shot was fired home from eight yards by his strike partner Matt Derbyshire.

West Ham midfielder Mark Noble then fired a low drive straight at visiting keeper Ciprian Tatarusanu from long range before the Romanians drew back level in fortuitous circumstances when Bogdan Stancu's 24th minute free-kick hit the underside of the crossbar and into the back of the net off grounded England goalkeeper Joe Hart.

Kightly then opted to head another Agbonlahor cross into the path of Derbyshire instead of going for goal himself from 10 yards, but he hopes to have done enough to keep his place in the squad.

"The whole experience has just been brilliant," he said.

"Meeting all of the lads and training with Premier League players has been great and I hope to do it again now.

"There are European Championship qualifiers away at Montenegro and Bulgaria next month and I shall be aiming to keep playing well for Wolves to try and keep my place when the boys meet up again in a couple of weeks."

England missed a host of late chances, while Romania had defender Cristian Scutaru sent off.

England: Hart (Alnwick 46), Gardner (Mancienne 46), Onuoha, Wheater, Cranie, Kightly (A Johnson 46), Noble (Huddlestone 63), M Johnson (Muamba 63), Walcott, Agbonlahor (Moore 76), Derbyshire (Milner 76) Sub not used: Blackstock