Aston Villa's Zat Knight could have been lining up for the West Brom

Jan 9 2009 By Mat Kendrick

VILLA’S Zat Knight has told how he might have been lining up for the opposition in tomorrow’s derby – had he not snubbed the Baggies for Benfica.

The towering Brummie defender had a month-long trial with West Brom as a teenager and was given the opportunity to stay on longer at The Hawthorns.

But the lure of Graeme Souness’s Benfica proved too much for a young Knight, who was offered a two-year contract at the Stadium of Light instead.

Some 10 years on, after ditching the Portuguese giants to make his name with Fulham, following a spell with Rushall Olympic, Knight has no regrets.

And the 28-year-old, who was also courted by then Baggies boss Gary Megson in 2002, is looking forward to his first involvement in a Villa-Albion derby.

“It should be a good game,” said Knight. “I’m sure it will be a typical derby with both teams desperate to win.

“We beat them 2-1 at their place but I didn’t play so hopefully I will get to play against them this time.

“I don’t know too many of their players, other than Luke Moore, who was here at Villa, but I know they’ve improved lately and will be fired up.

“I wouldn’t say they were one of my old clubs but I did have a trial with them when I was younger.

“It didn’t go too badly but around the same time I had the chance to have a trial in Portugal with Benfica – and, no, it wasn’t too hard a decision to make.”