Alan Knight MBE is a former Portsmouth FC (Pompey) footballer turned manager and is currently the club’s ambassador, a role which he has been serving for over 10 years.

Alan became an apprentice at the age of 16 signing for Portsmouth FC on his birthday back in 1977. He made his debut for the club a year later and went on to play in all four divisions between 1978 and 2000 in a thriving career at the club.

Blues through and through, he holds the record for the most appearances for a single club by a goalkeeper, having played 683 league games (and 801 games overall) between 1978 and 2000 which earned him the nickname 'The Legend'. Alan took on a coaching role at the club before spells in America and Bournemouth, Dorchester, Havant & Waterlooville, Horndean, and Aldershot. He then returned to Fratton Park as a goalkeeping coach following John Keeley’s departure to Blackburn in January 2013.

He cites Neville Southall as one his heroes who was also a goalkeeper. “I was very lucky to have been on the same pitch as him, and what a goalkeeper he was”.

In addition to his goalkeeping record, he is the second-longest serving player for the club, following closely behind Jimmy Dickinson.

In 1996, he was awarded an honorary Master of Science degree by the University of Portsmouth in acknowledgement of his service to the club and community, and in 2001 he was awarded an MBE in the New Year's Honours List for his services to the game.

Sources:

Goodison Memories by Steve Zozek
https://www.portsmouthfc.co.uk/news/2013/october/new-role-for-knight/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Knight_(footballer,_born_1961)
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/portsmouth/about-us/our-patron-alan-knight-mbe/