There was a concern Knowles would use his contacts at Spurs to sell them the player, and Norwich City had also been casting admiring glances his way, but Ferguson’s determined hands-on approach proved decisive, even if there was an agreement for the youngster to see out the remainder of the season at Torquay before completing the move north.
In that time, he would become the youngest-player to appear in a Football League play-off final, losing out to Swansea City, a record he still holds today, and it would not be long before he broke into the United side.
An exciting crowd pleaser, he made 263 appearances for the club before being sold to Leeds United in 1996.