Aston Villa FC

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• Founded:1874
• Manager:Gerard Houllier

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Villa seal Knight capture

29 Aug 2007 - 13:23:17

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Aston Villa have completed the £3.5million signing of Fulham defender Zat Knight on a four-year contract.

The 27-year-old former Cottagers captain has joined the Midlands club to provide competition among central defenders Olof Mellberg, Martin Laursen and Gary Cahill and revealed he jumped at the chance to return to Birmingham.

Knight, who has won two England caps, was born in nearby Aston and was a boyhood Villa fan.

"I have been supporting Villa ever since I first got to know and understand about football really, so it was from a young age," he told the club's official website.

"I'm from Aston for starters, so it always made complete sense to support them. Villa were my local team, simple as that.

"I remember my first game at Villa Park as well, but I was actually quite old by the time I went to see my first game there. I think I must have been about 14.

"It was an evening European game against Inter Milan. I remember Dennis Bergkamp was playing for Inter - but we beat them!"

However, Knight failed to make the grade at Villa Park and moved to London after being offered professional terms by Fulham.

"I had trials at schoolboy level for Villa but it never got any further than that," he added.

"As a youngster that was obviously really disappointing, but as it turned out I got opportunities elsewhere and it all turned out good in the end."

Knight made almost 200 appearances for Fulham during five years in the first team at Craven Cottage.