FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution announced today that the club has re-signed goalkeeper Brad Knighton. Knighton made five appearances in all competitions for the Revs in the last year and was included in the 18-man squad for all but one of the 42 games that the club played in 2014. He started two regular-season matches as well as all three games that the club played in the U.S. Open Cup, compiling a 3-2-0 record in that time. Per club and league policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.
A veteran goalkeeper with nearly a decade of professional experience, Knighton is in his second stint with the Revolution, having rejoined the club in December 2013 after previously playing for the Revs from 2007-09. In between those two spells, the 29-year-old spent time with the Philadelphia Union and Vancouver Whitecaps FC in MLS, as well in the NASL with the Carolina RailHawks.
Knighton returned to New England in December 2013 when he was traded from Vancouver in exchange for a conditional pick in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. The club’s first choice goalkeeper in the U.S. Open Cup, Knighton started all three games that the Revs played in the tournament, earning wins over the Richmond Kickers and Rochester Rhinos before falling to the Philadelphia Union in the quarterfinals. Knighton also made a pair of regular-season appearances against the Union, making four saves at PPL Park in a 5-3 win on May 17 and then stopping two shots in a home loss to Philadelphia on June 28.
Originally signed by the Revolution in 2007, Knighton made his MLS debut in 2009 and went on to appear in seven games in all competitions that season, including a 2-1 home win over FC Dallas that saw him make a career-high nine saves. Knighton was then selected by the Philadelphia Union in the 2009 MLS Expansion Draft and appeared in eight regular-season contests for the Union, compiling a 3-3-1 record with two shutouts.
After spending the 2011 season in the NASL with the Carolina Railhawks, earning NASL Best XI honors, Knighton returned to MLS in 2012, signing with Vancouver Whitecaps FC. In two seasons with the Whitecaps, Knighton appeared in 21 regular-season games, going 9-6-5 with a 1.12 goals against average and five clean sheets, while also starting the first playoff game in the club’s MLS history, before being traded back to the Revs.
