KEY POINTS:
There was a time not that long ago when Neil Emblen would not tell people what he did for a living unless he was asked. Ordinarily, he would take great pleasure in announcing that he was a professional footballer.
Three wins in 38 games, a goal difference of
minus 63, an 11-game losing streak, jibes about old Englishmen and a club that has experienced more changes than a New Zealand summer can do that to you.
But two wins and a draw in their last three games has not only been a fillip for the Knights but also jilted players like Emblen.
"Rather than dropping my daughter off at school outside I might actually go inside," Emblen joked ahead of today's last match of the season against Perth. "When you're tall and bald like me it can be hard to hide so it will be nice to walk around with my head up and the shoulders back - it's not something I've done for a while.
"It's been horrible at times [over the past two years] because I have been majorly embarrassed about the results we have had. All of the players have experienced it. When a team gets beaten every week, people look at you as if you're a bad footballer and I don't think I have turned into a bad footballer in two years.
"Normally in England you'd be quite proud to say you were a professional footballer but here you don't want to say sometimes. If people ask me, I will tell them, but you sort of tell them in a way that takes the mickey out of yourself before they take the mickey out of you."
There has been plenty of mickey taken out of the Knights in their short two-year existence, and the former Wolves, Crystal Palace and Norwich defender has been along for the entire bumpy ride.
What began as an uncertain but exciting journey to play in a new country is now just uncertain.
The club might just survive as new investors dabble with the prospect of taking over the remaining three-year licence but it's doubtful whether Emblen will be involved next season.
At 35 he's battling Father Time, although he feels like he's 18 again, trying to impress another new manager that he's worthy of a new contract.
There is a lot riding on that contract, not least his ability to stay in the country.
His visa is only valid if he is employed as a pro footballer but those chances could be drying up, along with his hopes of settling here.
Like many players, his contract was due to expire in June, when he could apply for residency.
That became null and void when the FFA last month revoked the Knights' licence.
Contracts were offered to the players until January 21 but these remain unsigned as the Professional Footballers Association battle with the FFA in an attempt to see them honour the players' original deals.
Emblen is even considering playing for an NZFC team but is unsure whether this satisfies immigration requirements. He has also completed his qualifications to become a real estate agent. But the harsh reality is he might not be allowed to stay in New Zealand.
If it is his last match today, Emblen will be keen to end his Knights career on a high note.
The side has lifted since the arrival of Ricki Herbert as caretaker manager and recent results were just the sort of advertising campaign needed to convince prospective buyers. Herbert has introduced a new shape and a passing game that allows players to take more risks on the pitch. The greatest difference, however, is the confidence that winning brings.
"It's been a combination of things, really," Emblen says of the recent turnaround. "The ideas that Ricki has brought in have clicked and we're playing with confidence after the [3-1] result against Queensland.
"With the additions to the squad just before Ricki came on board [Alen Marcina, Leilei Gao and John Tambouras] and the return from injury of Jonas [Salley] and Richard Johnson, we've shown we can compete at this level."
And that has improved Emblen's mood no end. There's no escaping the fact the Knights have had another dreadful season but there's nothing like a happy ending.
