BILLY Knott’s name will forever be etched in Bradford City folklore for one sweet swing of his left boot.

The defensive header from Matt Smith, who just two minutes earlier had nodded Leeds in front, reached as far as the edge of the penalty area.

With one cushioned touch, it sat up willingly for Knott to send an unstoppable, swerving half-volley into the roof of the net beneath a seething Kop.

The comeback was soon complete when James Hanson rammed in a quick-fire second and City had finally beaten Leeds on their own patch.

Forget Andy Warhol’s 15 minutes of fame, Knott’s place in club history had been carved in stone in an instant.

His two-year stay at Valley Parade could not eclipse that magic moment barely a month in. But he went close.

Just how close? Petr Cech’s right leg …

In dad Steve Knott’s spare room, John Terry’s framed Chelsea shirt stands as a permanent and proud reminder of the day that shook the FA Cup.

But his son still looks back and thinks about the goal that got away.

Filipe Morais sent the 6,000-strong away end – and the watching football world – into disbelief with the equaliser at Stamford Bridge.

The winger found himself completely unmarked in front of goal to tap home after Cech had stretched out a limb to deny Knott’s short-range flick.

Knott was convinced he would score when he latched on to Hanson’s knockdown – and even had his celebration planned.

“My mum and dad and about 30 from Canvey Island were all stood that side of the goal,” recalled the midfielder this week.

“They were right in line with me from where I shot and I was ready to dive straight in there.

“I was going in the crowd if I’d scored. But Cech saved it and Fil knocked in the rebound.

“I really thought my shot was in but, to be fair, that Cech’s not a bad keeper!”

Knott was happy just to be involved at the sharp end – after admitting he had spent most of the afternoon chasing blue shadows.

“Chelsea were a different level. There were so many really good players.

“It felt like I was running around all the time and never getting a touch of the ball.

“But it was just crazy – it still is.

“And afterwards John Terry came over to me in the tunnel and said ‘Knotty, you deserved that mate. Bradford were different class.’

“I went back to Canvey on the bus with all my mates and family after the game and was drunk by the time I got home. Everyone was.”

That cup run to the quarter-finals was when Knott came alive.

He netted three of his eight goals for the club in the two third-round games with Millwall, playing in the “hole” behind the front two vacated by an injured Billy Clarke.

And after the heroics of Stamford Bridge, he relished the chance to put one over another old club Sunderland in arguably his best performance of the lot.

Knott said: “When Clarkie got injured, I got a little bit lucky in that sense.

“I played most of the games in the ‘ten’ (position) and took my chance with both hands.

“I liked the Sunderland game on a personal note and felt I had a really good game. It felt a bit bittersweet because they had released me so it was nice to stick it back up them.

“But they were great about it afterwards and I got a lot of ‘well dones and congratulations’. It was nice to have so many texts from my old team-mates in the reserve side.

“That first season was unbelievable really. We were flying as a team with the FA Cup run and I think we were unlucky not to get in the play-offs.

“I was lucky that the fans seemed to like me from the start.

“They could tell I worked hard for the team and always tried to give 110 per cent every time I stepped out on the pitch.”

But that’s not how Knott will be remembered as he seeks the next chapter of his career at a new club.

Ask any City fan about him and they will jump to that one game and that one goal.

Like a pop star who had a number one song that everyone always wants to hear, Knott gets reminded about it constantly.

And he’s got absolutely no problem with that.

He smiled: “Every time the Leeds goal pops up on Twitter, it gives me goose bumps just watching again.

“I still find it hard to put into words that feeling when it went in but I’ll never forget it.

“It was such a massive night for us. Everyone had been telling us how many years it had been since Bradford had beaten them and we knew what it meant to the fans.

“When I scored ten minutes from the end and then Hans got the winner, the place just erupted. I’ve never known anything like it.

“I don’t mind being remembered for that if nothing else. It’s not a bad memory.”

Knott could be back at Valley Parade next season in rival colours, getting the game time that eluded him during a tough second year with the Bantams.

“I would love to come back there to play next season and hopefully I will get a good reception.

“Obviously I’ll want to go and win with my new club.

“But I can’t thank everyone at Bradford enough, I really enjoyed every minute.

“I like to think I always had time for the fans and the young kids – we’ve all been there as a young lad queuing up to get an autograph.

“It was a great time for me, even if I didn’t get to play as much as I liked in the second season. I hope the fans know how much I enjoyed it.”