Wycombe Wanderers manager Gareth Ainsworth has backed on-loan Leicester City man Josh Knight to “go all the way” in his career.
The 23-year-old scored his first goal for the Chairboys with the winner in a thrilling 3-2 victory at Huddersfield Town on Saturday.
Knight has played every available minute this season for the Championship strugglers, having first joined on loan in October before having his deal extended until the end of the campaign in January.
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But after being a constant this year in central defence, he started in midfield for the first team in West Yorkshire as part of a reshuffled Wycombe side.
With freedom to attack that he had not enjoyed all season playing at the back, he was a regular attacking threat as Ainsworth’s men mounted a stunning cunning from two goals down.
He hit the crossbar shortly before Anis Mehemti halved the deficit, and Joe Jacobson’s penalty allowed Knight to step up three minutes from time with a fine left-footed finish into the bottom corner.
The lifelong Leicester fan has only made one professional appearance for the Premier League side, the bulk of his experience coming in loan spells at Peterborough United in the past two seasons and now Wycombe, but his current boss believes he is set for a bright future.
“Josh has come and is a real competitor,” Ainsworth told The72. “We loved him last season in League One when he was at Peterborough.
“We pushed him into midfield today and it paid dividends. He’s got enough to go all the way. He needs to work on some things but he can go all the way, and we’re delighted to have him in the Wycombe squad.”
Knight made the difference in Huddersfield, and after the win Ainsworth expressed his belief that Wycombe, now 10 points from safety, can still retain their place in the Championship.
“For six or seven years this club has been in the ascendancy and I’m proud to have been a part of that,” he said. “This can be the next part of the story, and what a story it would be. I really do still believe.”
Ainsworth also revealed the advice from owner Rob Couhig which helped his side pull off the comeback win and stay in the hunt for survival.
