Zat Knight facts for kids
Knight training with Aston Villa in 2008
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Zatyiah Knight | ||
| Date of birth | 2 May 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Solihull, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | ||
| Playing position | Centre back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| –1999 | Rushall Olympic | ||
| 1999–2007 | Fulham | 150 | (3) |
| 2000 | → Peterborough United (loan) | 8 | (0) |
| 2007–2009 | Aston Villa | 40 | (4) |
| 2009–2014 | Bolton Wanderers | 168 | (4) |
| 2014–2015 | Colorado Rapids | 4 | (0) |
| 2015 | Reading | 2 | (0) |
| Total | 372 | (11) | |
| National team | |||
| 2002 | England U21 | 4 | (0) |
| 2005 | England | 2 | (0) |
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Zatyiah "Zat" Knight (born 2 May 1980) is an English former professional footballer. He played as a centre back, which is a defensive position in football.
Zat Knight played for several big clubs in England. These include Aston Villa, Bolton Wanderers, and Fulham. He played in the top leagues like the Premier League and the Championship. He also played for the England U21 team and the senior England team. He played a total of 372 games and scored 11 goals in his career.
Contents
Zat Knight's Club Football Journey
Starting at Fulham Football Club
Zat Knight was born in Solihull, a town in the West Midlands of England. He joined Fulham on 19 February 1999. Before that, he played for Rushall Olympic. Fulham did not have to pay a transfer fee for him. However, Fulham's owner, Mohamed Al-Fayed, sent 30 tracksuits to Rushall Olympic as a thank you.
After playing for Fulham for five years, Knight signed a new contract. This contract kept him at the club until 2008. He became a key player under the manager Chris Coleman.
Knight scored four goals for Fulham during his time there. Two goals were in the 2004–05 season. He scored against Watford in an FA Cup match. He also scored a Premier League goal against Norwich City in a big 6–0 win. His last goal for Fulham was against Bolton Wanderers.
In the 2006–07 season, many people thought Knight was Fulham's most consistent player. He was even made temporary captain when the usual captain, Luís Boa Morte, was injured.
Before a match against West Ham United, it was announced that Knight had broken his jaw. He said it happened while he was playing around with his brother.
At the start of the 2007–08 season, Knight signed another contract. This new deal kept him at Fulham until 2010. He had been linked with other clubs, but he wanted to stay and win trophies with Fulham.
Playing for Aston Villa
On 29 August 2007, Zat Knight joined Aston Villa. This was special for him because he had supported Villa since he was a boy. He signed a four-year contract, and the transfer fee was about £3.5 million. His last game for Fulham was a 2–1 loss against Aston Villa.
Knight scored a goal in his very first game for Villa. It was a header in a 2–0 win against Chelsea on 2 September 2007. His next goal for Villa came the following season. On 26 December 2008, he scored a late equaliser against Arsenal. The game ended in a 2–2 draw at Villa Park.
Time with Bolton Wanderers
On 25 July 2009, Knight moved to Bolton Wanderers. He signed a three-year contract with the Premier League club. The fee was around £4 million. He played his first game for Bolton on 15 August 2009 against Sunderland.
He scored his first goal for Bolton against Wolverhampton Wanderers on 27 February 2010. This goal helped Bolton win 1–0. It was a very important win that moved the team out of the relegation zone.
Knight's contract with Bolton ended in 2012. However, he signed a new two-year contract on 9 July 2012. He often wore the captain's armband when the regular captain, Kevin Davies, was not playing. When Davies left in 2013, Knight became the new captain for the 2013–14 season.
On 8 March 2014, Knight scored his first goal in three and a half years. He scored Bolton's third goal in a 5–1 win against Leeds United. At the end of that season, he left the club.
Playing for Colorado Rapids and Reading
On 1 October 2014, Knight joined Major League Soccer team Colorado Rapids in the United States. He played four games for them. His contract ended on 2 February 2015.
After leaving the Rapids, Knight had a trial with Watford. Then, on 12 March 2015, he signed with Championship club Reading. He played two games for Reading before being released on 21 May 2015.
Playing for England
Zat Knight played for the England senior team twice. His first game was on 28 May 2005. He came on as a substitute in a friendly match against the United States. His second game was a friendly against Colombia on 31 May 2005.
Life After Football
After retiring from playing football, Zat Knight moved to Los Angeles in the United States. He now runs a company that invests in real estate. He also has his own line of fragrances.
Honours
- Fulham
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2002
Images for kids
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Knight training with Bolton Wanderers in 2011
See also
In Spanish: Zat Knight para niños
