Tuesday 18 November 2008

Zat Knight Bio


One of the tallest players in the Premier League, Knight spent eight years at Fulham before joining Martin O'Neill's Villa side in 2007.

Originally a youth at West Bromwich Albion, he was discarded by the Midlands club only to be spotted by Benfica who offered him a trial and subsequently a two-year contract. Meanwhile, Fulham spotted his talents and snapped him up on a free.

His first taste of League football came in a three-month loan spell with Third Division side Peterborough United in February 2000 and he made an accomplished debut for the club when he slotted in nicely alongside Alan Neilson in Fulham's 4-1 Worthington Cup victory against Northampton in September 2000.

But it was in the 2001/02 campaign when Knight became known to English football's upper echelons. He put in some fine performances in the early part of the season - until injury curtailed his progress in February of that season.

Knight eventually established himself as a fixture of the first XI under Chris Coleman in 2003/04 but failed to convince anyone that he was worthy of a starring role in the side.

With a call-up to the England squad in 2005, Knight began to improve and he was made captain while Luis Boa Morte was out injured in the 2005/06 season.

2006/07 saw a vast improvement, with many believing that he was the best player of a pretty poor season for Fulham. With a broken jaw, Knight sat out the remainder of the 2006/07 season and chose to leave the club after eight years, in the summer.

Villa came calling and the £3.5million transfer allowed Knight to join the club he had supported as a boy.

He scored on his debut against Chelsea and has established himself as an important member of the Villa defence.

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