The Laughing Bluebird
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From today's Western Mail:
LEON KNIGHT has revealed the astonishing day-to-day rigmarole he has to go through as he remains cast aside in the wilderness at Swansea City. But Knight, in his most emotional and hard-hitting interview since being thrown out of the Swans squad, insisted he would not be broken by the way he is being treated by manager Kenny Jackett.
The Liberty Stadium outcast broke his silence after returning to Swansea, where he is still not allowed to train alongside the first-team squad, following an unsuccessful loan spell at Championship side Barnsley.
The Yorkshire club decided not to sign Knight on a permanent basis - something Jackett was hoping they would do - after he failed to get on the scoresheet in nine appearances for them.
Knight, who has been forced to pound the local beaches to try and keep fit, claimed the lack of proper training at Swansea prevented him performing to his full goal-scoring potential at Oakwell.
But the defiant Londoner insisted, "If Swansea asked me to swim to England and back, I would do it. I'm not going to give them any excuse to sack me or dock me a few weeks' wages. If I was weak, I'd be saddened by the way I was being treated. But I'm not weak. And I'm not going to let Kenny Jackett break me."
Knight has been out in the cold at Swansea since Jackett placed him on the transfer list in mid-October, the Swans boss claiming at the time that the 24-year-old forward was not working hard enough. Jackett later said there were other reasons behind his decision to axe Knight which would emerge in time.
That merely added fuel to the rumour mill as Swans fans speculated on exactly what Knight had done to warrant his expulsion. It was strongly rumoured, for example, that he had a major bust-up with midfielder Andy Robinson and that there were several occasions when he failed to turn up for training. And some of the rumours, all of which Knight denies, bordered on the ridiculous, such as one suggesting he pulled a knife on a team-mate.
Knight responded, "Do you honestly believe I'd still be at the club if I'd done something like that? They would've sacked me, I'd have been out the door.
"I hear everything - probably more than journalists - and I go onto the internet because I want to know what people are saying and thinking. And most of what's being said is absolutely ridiculous.
"It's just bored people who feel they've got to add fuel to the fire. If I'd done any of the things people are saying I've done, I'm an honest enough person to tell you the truth.
"People say, 'Oh, he fell out with Mark McGhee at Brighton, as well,' but that was a different situation. At Brighton I was in the wrong and McGhee was in the wrong as well. But this time I haven't done anything wrong.
"I did what Kenny asked me to do and bought a house just round the corner from the training ground. I performed to the best of my ability for the team and I only missed training twice, which was through illness. I truthfully still have no idea why the manager wants me out.
"All he ever told me - and these are his words - was that because I score goals, I've got more power to influence other people to play like me, which he believes is a lazy style of playing. So am I basically being punished for scoring goals? To be honest, I'm past caring. The situation might have been sad to start with, but now it's just getting stupid."
The situation, Knight said, is that as well as being barred from training with the rest of the squad, he is kept away from the gym when the other players are using it.
"What happens most days is I turn up at the gym at Llandarcy and then one of the Swansea coaches leads the way in his car and I follow on in my car down to the beach," Knight said.
"I'm basically then training by myself, or someone runs alongside me, in all weathers. As you can imagine, it's pretty miserable. It's sad they don't want me mixing with the players because I've got friends in the squad.
"But there's nothing I can do about it. I'll do whatever they ask me to do because I'm not going to give them a reason to fine me wages. If Kenny Jackett asked me to play for the team again, of course I would. That's not going to happen, but then you'd think that if they really wanted to get rid of me, why don't they play me and put me in the shop window?"
The inference is that it is counterproductive for Swansea to exclude Knight from training properly with the first team, possible suitors perhaps being put off by the fact he is getting few opportunities to sharpen his ball skills as well as no match action to speak of.
The former Chelsea trainee claimed that was what hindered him at Barnsley, who decided not to take Knight off Swansea's hands after he failed to score in six starts and three substitute appearances.
"Barnsley was good - but it would've been better if I'd have been fit," he said.
"I'd gone three-and-a-half to four weeks at Swansea without doing any ball work. About a week-and-a-half before joining Barnsley, I had a few training sessions with the youth team players, but that wasn't enough.
"There's only so much you can do on your own in the gym and I was unfit when I went to Barnsley. I wasn't sharp and perhaps that told in my performances. But, even though I didn't score, I still think I contributed something. Results did improve after I arrived along with other loan players like Grant McCann and Ronnie Wallwork."
Knight said it came as no surprise when Jackett refused to give him another chance when he returned to Swansea on January 2. Even with Lee Trundle suspended for three games, Jackett insisted the prospect of Knight pulling on a Swans shirt again was "out of the question".
And so the player who netted 15 goals in 20 league starts for Swansea, including the hat-trick at Chesterfield and the double at Brentford that propelled the club towards the play-off final at the end of last season, remains persona non grata at the Liberty.
"I love the fact some Swans supporters have been saying I should be in the team," Knight said.
"I've got friends in Swansea and I love them for the support they've given me. I was hearing that because Lee Trundle was suspended, I might get a chance, but I knew nothing would happen. Sure enough, the manager pulled me to one side when I got back and said the situation with me hadn't changed.
"That's up to him. I'm not going to beg him to play me. I'm a strong believer in karma. I strongly believe that what goes around, comes around."
Despite his return to anonymity at Swansea, Knight is confident he will find a new club by the time the transfer window swings shut in three weeks' time. And Jackett still harbours hope of recouping the £125,000 he splashed on the striker 12 months ago. But, having turned down the chance to sign for Peterborough United before Christmas, Knight insists he will not join a bottom division side.
"Why should I drop down a league?" he said.
"I'll either stay in League One or, if the opportunity arises, step up a level. I can't mention any clubs, but I believe I'll get somewhere before the end of the month. At the moment I'm just trying to keep myself as fit as possible."
(Ian Hunt, Western Mail, 10/1/07)
LEON KNIGHT has revealed the astonishing day-to-day rigmarole he has to go through as he remains cast aside in the wilderness at Swansea City. But Knight, in his most emotional and hard-hitting interview since being thrown out of the Swans squad, insisted he would not be broken by the way he is being treated by manager Kenny Jackett.
The Liberty Stadium outcast broke his silence after returning to Swansea, where he is still not allowed to train alongside the first-team squad, following an unsuccessful loan spell at Championship side Barnsley.
The Yorkshire club decided not to sign Knight on a permanent basis - something Jackett was hoping they would do - after he failed to get on the scoresheet in nine appearances for them.
Knight, who has been forced to pound the local beaches to try and keep fit, claimed the lack of proper training at Swansea prevented him performing to his full goal-scoring potential at Oakwell.
But the defiant Londoner insisted, "If Swansea asked me to swim to England and back, I would do it. I'm not going to give them any excuse to sack me or dock me a few weeks' wages. If I was weak, I'd be saddened by the way I was being treated. But I'm not weak. And I'm not going to let Kenny Jackett break me."
Knight has been out in the cold at Swansea since Jackett placed him on the transfer list in mid-October, the Swans boss claiming at the time that the 24-year-old forward was not working hard enough. Jackett later said there were other reasons behind his decision to axe Knight which would emerge in time.
That merely added fuel to the rumour mill as Swans fans speculated on exactly what Knight had done to warrant his expulsion. It was strongly rumoured, for example, that he had a major bust-up with midfielder Andy Robinson and that there were several occasions when he failed to turn up for training. And some of the rumours, all of which Knight denies, bordered on the ridiculous, such as one suggesting he pulled a knife on a team-mate.
Knight responded, "Do you honestly believe I'd still be at the club if I'd done something like that? They would've sacked me, I'd have been out the door.
"I hear everything - probably more than journalists - and I go onto the internet because I want to know what people are saying and thinking. And most of what's being said is absolutely ridiculous.
"It's just bored people who feel they've got to add fuel to the fire. If I'd done any of the things people are saying I've done, I'm an honest enough person to tell you the truth.
"People say, 'Oh, he fell out with Mark McGhee at Brighton, as well,' but that was a different situation. At Brighton I was in the wrong and McGhee was in the wrong as well. But this time I haven't done anything wrong.
"I did what Kenny asked me to do and bought a house just round the corner from the training ground. I performed to the best of my ability for the team and I only missed training twice, which was through illness. I truthfully still have no idea why the manager wants me out.
"All he ever told me - and these are his words - was that because I score goals, I've got more power to influence other people to play like me, which he believes is a lazy style of playing. So am I basically being punished for scoring goals? To be honest, I'm past caring. The situation might have been sad to start with, but now it's just getting stupid."
The situation, Knight said, is that as well as being barred from training with the rest of the squad, he is kept away from the gym when the other players are using it.
"What happens most days is I turn up at the gym at Llandarcy and then one of the Swansea coaches leads the way in his car and I follow on in my car down to the beach," Knight said.
"I'm basically then training by myself, or someone runs alongside me, in all weathers. As you can imagine, it's pretty miserable. It's sad they don't want me mixing with the players because I've got friends in the squad.
"But there's nothing I can do about it. I'll do whatever they ask me to do because I'm not going to give them a reason to fine me wages. If Kenny Jackett asked me to play for the team again, of course I would. That's not going to happen, but then you'd think that if they really wanted to get rid of me, why don't they play me and put me in the shop window?"
The inference is that it is counterproductive for Swansea to exclude Knight from training properly with the first team, possible suitors perhaps being put off by the fact he is getting few opportunities to sharpen his ball skills as well as no match action to speak of.
The former Chelsea trainee claimed that was what hindered him at Barnsley, who decided not to take Knight off Swansea's hands after he failed to score in six starts and three substitute appearances.
"Barnsley was good - but it would've been better if I'd have been fit," he said.
"I'd gone three-and-a-half to four weeks at Swansea without doing any ball work. About a week-and-a-half before joining Barnsley, I had a few training sessions with the youth team players, but that wasn't enough.
"There's only so much you can do on your own in the gym and I was unfit when I went to Barnsley. I wasn't sharp and perhaps that told in my performances. But, even though I didn't score, I still think I contributed something. Results did improve after I arrived along with other loan players like Grant McCann and Ronnie Wallwork."
Knight said it came as no surprise when Jackett refused to give him another chance when he returned to Swansea on January 2. Even with Lee Trundle suspended for three games, Jackett insisted the prospect of Knight pulling on a Swans shirt again was "out of the question".
And so the player who netted 15 goals in 20 league starts for Swansea, including the hat-trick at Chesterfield and the double at Brentford that propelled the club towards the play-off final at the end of last season, remains persona non grata at the Liberty.
"I love the fact some Swans supporters have been saying I should be in the team," Knight said.
"I've got friends in Swansea and I love them for the support they've given me. I was hearing that because Lee Trundle was suspended, I might get a chance, but I knew nothing would happen. Sure enough, the manager pulled me to one side when I got back and said the situation with me hadn't changed.
"That's up to him. I'm not going to beg him to play me. I'm a strong believer in karma. I strongly believe that what goes around, comes around."
Despite his return to anonymity at Swansea, Knight is confident he will find a new club by the time the transfer window swings shut in three weeks' time. And Jackett still harbours hope of recouping the £125,000 he splashed on the striker 12 months ago. But, having turned down the chance to sign for Peterborough United before Christmas, Knight insists he will not join a bottom division side.
"Why should I drop down a league?" he said.
"I'll either stay in League One or, if the opportunity arises, step up a level. I can't mention any clubs, but I believe I'll get somewhere before the end of the month. At the moment I'm just trying to keep myself as fit as possible."
(Ian Hunt, Western Mail, 10/1/07)
