Knight, who scored an own goal against Villa last Saturday, was brought up in the Aston area and even used to watch the club through a gap in the gates.

Although he had trials with both Birmingham and West Brom, a professional career with Villa never seemed likely to become a reality and it was former Fulham boss Kevin Keegan who plucked him from the obscurity of non-league football at Rushall Olympic to take him to Craven Cottage.

The eventual transfer fee then came to little more than a selection of training tops and some footballs.

Now, after nine years at Fulham the tall central defender has seen his value rise and the move to Villa Park, although it took him by surprise, has come off.

He said: "I know Villa have always been the team I wanted to play for but I didn't see it on the cards."

Villa boss, Martin O'Neill, who has not ruled out making a further signing before the transfer deadline at the end of the month, had been expected to push forward with a move for West Brom's highly-rated skipper Curtis Davies but instead moved quickly to bolster his back four with Knight.

The former Celtic boss had been unable to agree a fee for Davies and Villa have picked up Knight for less than half the fee that Albion were demanding for the unsettled centre back.

O'Neill said: "I've seen a lot of Zat over the last couple of years. I've seen him play very well indeed and I've seen him play very poorly.

"He has got a lot of potential and a lot of natural ability for one so tall and he is always comfortable on the ball.

"I know he will not mind me saying it but he occasionally goes to sleep - preferably after the game.

"I think at 27 after spending nine years at Fulham it will be a wrench leaving them as they are a great family club.

"I am hoping now that if he can produce the kind of performances I know he is capable of producing and that he will be a big asset for us.

I an genuinely excited that he has joined us and I am sure that he has big future at Villa."