MANLY have secured the signature of one of the hottest young forwards in the game with rising star Liam Knight committing his future to the club.

Knocking back interest from Melbourne, North Queensland, Newcastle and Cronulla, the 21-year-old will remain at the Sea Eagles until the end of 2017.

Close friends with the Trbojevic brothers, Tom and Jake, Knight’s desire to play in the NRL alongside his mates while also remaining loyal to Manly where he began as an SG Ball player, was the overriding factor in his decision to stay.

Interestingly, Knight could have pursued a tennis career, having played on the national circuit as a junior.

A member of last year’s NSW under-20s squad, alongside future NRL stars Jackson Hastings, Latrell Mitchell and Robert Jennings, Knight averaged 193-metres and 35 tackles a match in the National Youth Competition.

“Obviously I just want to get a start in first grade first, that’s the main goal, to get a start,’’ Knight said in a recent interview.

“We’ve got a good forward pack with all the new recruits but by the end of the year I want to have cemented my spot in the top 17.”

Playing prop in the under-20s NYC, Knight stepped at lock out for his opening game of the year in the NSW Cup for Manly against the Wests Tigers at Campbelltown.

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Manly head coach Trent Barrett indicated earlier this year that Knight was a pivotal signing in ensuring the future of the club.

“He’s a local junior and someone we see can be here along with the Trbojevic boys (Jake and Tom) and all the (Dylan) Walkers and (Api) Koroisaus, (Martin) Taupaus and (Daly) Cherry-Evans’ — all the boys here long-term, we’d like to see Liam Knight be part of that,’’ Barrett said.