Born in Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear,[1] Knight began his career with the Middlesbroughyouth system at the age of 11 after he was spotted by a scout playing for his local team Hetton Juniors.[2][3] He played in both legs of the 2004 FA Youth CupFinal, which Middlesbrough won 4–0 on aggregate.[4] Knight signed a professional contract with Middlesbrough on 3 February 2005 and his first involvement with the first team came weeks later after being named on the substitutes' bench for a 2–2 draw with Charlton Athletic in the FA Premier League on 27 February.[1][5] Knight joined League Two team Darlington on an emergency one-month loan on 30 December 2005 to cover injuries to Sam Russell and Bertrand Bossu and he made his debut the following day in a 2–2 draw against Lincoln City.[1][6][7][8] After he picked up a hip injury during a 3–2 defeat to Notts County he finished the loan with three appearances.[8][9][10] He signed a new one-year contract with Middlesbrough in June 2006.[11] Knight signed for League One team Oldham Athletic on a one-month loan on 24 August.[12] His debut lasted only 39 minutes after he was "wrongly" sent off for handling the ball outside the box, with the game finishing a 0–0 draw with Carlisle United.[13][14] He made one more appearance for Oldham before suffering from swollen glands and a hip injury before finishing the loan with two appearances.[13][14]
He left Middlesbrough to join League One team Swansea City on a free transfer on 31 August 2007.[15] His first and only appearance of the 2007–08 season came in a 2–1 victory over Billericay Town in the FA Cupfirst round on 10 November 2007.[16] He was released by the club after his contract expired on 30 June 2008 and he signed for Conference Premier team Mansfield Town on 13 October following a trial.[17][18][19] Having made no appearances he left Mansfield on 3 November and returned to Middlesbrough to play in the reserves on a month-to-month contract.[2][20][21] Knight left the club for the second time in May 2009 after failing to earn a long-term contract.[22] He agreed on 2 July to re-sign for Darlington on a one-year contract once the League Two club had left administration.[23][24] His 2009–10 season started with a "flurry of errors" and his second debut for the club came in a 3–1 defeat at Aldershot Town on 8 August 2009.[25][26] Knight left Darlington on 8 December when managerSteve Staunton released him from his contract by mutual consent, having played nine games for the club.[24]
Knight moved to Conference Premier side Histon in February 2010 on a one-and-a-half-year contract following a two-week trial.[27] He made his debut in a 1–0 defeat to Rushden & Diamonds on 3 March 2010 and he finished the 2009–10 season with 12 appearances for Histon.[26] Despite being told he had a future with Histon,[28] Knight joined York City on a two-week trial in July with a view to signing on a season-long loan.[29] Illness resulted in him missing York's pre-season friendly with Hull City although he later played one half of York's 2–0 defeat to Barnsley,[30][31] with manager Martin Foyle saying he "did well".[32] After playing in the 1–0 friendly victory over Morecambe Foyle said he was interested in signing Knight.[33][34] He eventually signed for the club on 30 July.[35] His debut came in a 2–1 victory over Forest Green Rovers on 22 January 2011 as Michael Ingham was serving a one-match suspension.[36][37] This proved to be his only appearance for the club.[36] With another year remaining on his Histon contract, he was unsure of his future at the club after returning,[38] while player-managerDavid Livermore said he intended to transfer Knight from the club.[39] He was handed a free transfer by the club and allowed to talk to other clubs.[40]
Following the cancellation of his contract at Histon by mutual consent, Knight signed for Conference North rivals Blyth Spartans, where he had made 18 appearances during an earlier three-month loan spell.[41] He left the club at the beginning of the 2012–13 season,[42] signing for Spennymoor Town in August 2012[43] before leaving in 2014.
International career
Knight was capped for England at under-16, under-17 and under-18 level.[44] He was part of the under-17 team that participated in the 2004 Algarve Tournament.[45] He was called into the under-19 squad in May 2006 as a replacement for Ben Alnwick.[46]
Style of play
Knight plays as a goalkeeper.[47] He said in 2010 that "shot-stopping is a strength of mine".[47]