Knight backing Pics' Cup dream

Zat Knight is ready to hand Rushall Olympic a win bonus if they can earn another slice of FA Cup glory on Saturday.

The £3m Villa defender will be a keen observer on Saturday when his former team embarks on the biggest game in their history when they take on York for a place in the first round proper.

Knight famously left the Dales Lane club in February 1999 for a set of 30 trackuits – Fulham's "donation" as Rushall weren't entitled to any fee as the defender wasn't on contract at the time.

And the 27-year-old, now earning an estimated £25,000 a week with Villa, is prepared to waive a debt from Rushall chairman John Allen.

"John Allen was manager and chairman at the time and he still owes me a bit of money – he owes me £90 in appearance money, but he can keep it – he can buy me a drink if they win instead!" said Knight.

Rushall play in the British Gas Business Southern League Midlands Division – three levels lower than Blue Square Premier side York. The gap was even wider when Knight played for Pics – back then there were five leagues between the two sides as York were in the Football League while Rushall were languishing in the Midlands Alliance.

And Knight believes his old team is capable of causing an upset.

"It's 11 versus 11 and when it's such a special day, anyone can win and hopefully they can," said Knight, who will be preparing for Villa's big game at Bolton on Sunday lunchtime.

"It's a big day for them and hopefully it won't run past them.

"I wish them all the best and hopefully they will get into the next round because Rushall will always have a special place in my heart.

"I've got good memories of my time there – I've still got a lot of friends from that time and I hope they can go a stage further.

"I still to talk to Dave Harris, who was reserve team manager there at the time and Jessiah Campbell and Richard Allen, who still both play semi-professional for Romulus. "I keep in touch with the non-League side of football anyway by watching my brother Carlos play for Barnt Green and I was there to watch him a few weeks ago.

"I've still got a lot of friends who play at that standard, so I haven't got too big for my boots.

"I feel quite blessed to have seen two sides of the coin – I know what it's like to be at the bottom and the top of the game and I'm just cherishing the moment because it doesn't last forever."

Boyhood Villa fan Knight, who grew up in Aston and Erdington, was a non-contract player at Rushall after trials with Albion and Birmingham, and so couldn't command a fee when he moved to the big time.

"Everyone knows the story about the tracksuits – Fulham sent 30 tracksuits as a 'thank you' because there wasn't any fee as I wasn't under contract at the time," he said.

"Fulham were in the old Second Division so there wasn't the money to throw around."