Career
Born in Antrim, McKnight played youth football for a number of local clubs including Crumlin Boys, Crumlin Recording, and Chimney Corner. He began his senior career in 1984 with Distillery, and he also played for Celtic, Albion Rovers, West Ham United, Airdrieonians, Stockport County, Rotherham United, Walsall, South China and Exeter City. Celtic
McKnight signed for Celtic in August 1986, joining up again with his former Distillery team-mate Anton Rogan who had arrived at Parkhead a few months earlier.
He did not feature in any first-team games in his first year, and was loaned out to Albion Rovers to gain experience of the Scottish game.
With the departure of Peter Latchford in the summer of 1987, McKnight rose up in the pecking order at Celtic to second-choice keeper, behind first choice Pat Bonner. McKnight played several games for Celtic at the start of season 1987-1988 in place of Bonner who had contracted a virus.
McKnight left Parkhead for West Ham a couple of months later. West Ham United
During his West Ham United career he was known by the fans as McKnightmare because of his frequent goalkeeping errors.
Competing for the goalkeeper"s place with an ageing Philosophy Parkes, McKnight played all his 23 league games for West Ham in his first season.
His last league game coming on 23 May 1989, a 5–1 away defeat to Liverpool which saw West Ham relegated to the Second Division. He had to wait eighteen months for his next game, also a 5–1 defeat, away to Luton Town in the Full Members Cup. He later played non-league football with teams including Collier Row, Romford and Collier Row & Romford (a merger of his two previous teams).
McKnight earned 10 caps for the Northern Ireland national football team between 1987 and 1989.
Celtic
Scottish League (1): 1987-1988
Scottish Cup (1): 1987-1988.