Equipped with another year of Bundesliga football under her belt, she made 12 appearances for her new employers in 2013/14 where she was then included in Germany Under-20s’ squad for the Women’s World Cup in 2014.  

Remarkably, up to this point Knaak had only played as a midfielder and a role in central defence wasn’t on her radar until a turn of fate placed her in the heart of the backline.  

She recalled: “Before the tournament, they made two of our ‘normal’ players centre-backs because all the other centre-backs were injured.  

“Basically, me and my roommate, who was a winger, we were centre-backs together at that tournament and we had no clue what we were doing.  

“It was fun to learn [the position] and for me it was quite natural as a six. The way I played made it very natural as well. For my teammate she may have thought ‘what am I doing back here?’. 

“But we had different qualities that added up pretty well. We did play FIFA [videogame to learn the position] as well during that time, but I don’t know if that helped.”  

Like two years before, she was again a key member of the team and featured in every Group D assignment as they finished top.  

Not only was Knaak proving her worth with committed and often heroic defensive displays, but she was also making a habit of scoring when her nation needed her most. 

And when they met Canada U20 in the quarter-finals, she once again showed what she can do in both boxes.  

After Pauline Bremer had opened the scoring for Germany in the 24th minute, the Canadians continued to push for an equaliser before Knaak sealed the 2-0 victory when netting with eight minutes remaining. 

Following a hard-fought 2-1 win over France in the last-four – where Knaak played 90 minutes – they then beat Nigeria 1-0 in the final after extra-time to win the U20 World Cup.  

However, Freiburg had only seven points after nine Bundesliga matches at the start of the 2021/22 season and were weighing up the decision to let Knaak leave or maintain her services for their push away from relegation danger.  

But three successive wins over Werder Bremen, Sand and Essen drastically improved their league position and the decision was made to allow Knaak to join Rosengard in the January window - a move that ultimately revived her career. 

However, it almost didn’t happen.  

The first of those three-straight victories which paved the way for her move to Sweden was the width of the post away from scuppering the defender’s move.  

“We had a game against Werder Bremen in the last part of our stay in Freiburg. It turned out that Bremen game would be the deciding game to see if she could leave the club or not,” Spengler detailed.  

“It was such a tough game. We won 1-0 and Bremen hit the post in the last second and I was the only one who knew this game could be the deciding game for her move and she knew it, but no one in the team knew.  

“It was so much pressure on her in that game and she performed incredibly. It was like her life depended on it.  

“That’s exceptional because she learned to perform under the highest pressure possible because if you lose the game or don’t win the game, maybe the club is not selling you or shutting down [the move to Rosengard].”

Knaak’s Swedish adventure finally began in January 2021 when she secured her move to Rosengard. 

Her first experience of club football outside of her native Germany, she entered a dressing room full of top-class players who’d narrowly missed out on the 2020 Damallsvenskan title the season before. 

Among her new colleagues, perhaps none were more influential to the squad than icon of the women’s game and former Sweden international, Caroline Seger.  

Knaak and the ex-Lyon midfielder would quickly form a strong bond, but their storied history together began in an unlikely location. 

Seger laughs: “I found her at IKEA sitting in a chair. We ended up having lunch and coffee together randomly and I felt right away how we clicked.  

“We ended up having lunch and speaking about everything and we had the same thoughts about a lot.” 

Knaak confirms the chance encounter: “It must have been in the first week and I remember I was trying to buy a nice chair so I went there [IKEA] and had a look around.  

“I then called my brother on FaceTime because I needed him to help me choose as I’m so bad at those things. 

“I sat down in the chair and called him, I looked up and saw two pairs of feet standing there. That was our first real meeting outside of football.  

“I tried to tell her I was Facetiming my brother so I’m not totally insane, but it was a nice day because I went with Caroline and Olivia Schough for a coffee and that was pretty much the first conversation we had and we got along pretty well.  

“So, in the end it was a pretty good day.” 

With the Swedish top-flight running from spring to winter, Knaak began pre-season soon after her arrival at Rosengard, but the rigours of consistently playing on astro turf for the first time took its toll. 

An overuse injury stunted her progress slightly but after returning to the field in June, she immediately stamped her authority on the division, playing again in defensive midfield and at centre-back across 16 outings. 

Knaak’s move to Rosengard also presented the opportunity to play in the Champions League and after she helped them beat Brann over two legs to qualify for the group stage, they were placed in a highly competitive Group D with Benfica, Bayern Munich and Barcelona. 

On 19 October 2022, Rebecca was named in the starting XI for their opening group assignment away to Bayern – a proud moment no doubt – but her return to Germany would have a kaleidoscopic impact on her career.  

With the hosts leading 2-1, a somewhat innocuous collision with Georgia Stanway around the hour mark left Knaak with a broken big toe.  

At face value, an injury to a toe may not seem the most substantial – but the issue led to a year on the sidelines, with often no signs of light at the end of the tunnel.  

Henrick Kackur, Rosengard rehabilitation coach, was there every step of Knaak’s journey through recovery and he says the uncertainty held back any progress. 

He explained: “For a while we weren’t exactly sure what the issue was and how to fix it. She had a lot of setbacks and it went on for a long time with both the healing process, finding out exactly what to do and how to do it. 

“In this case, there were a lot of things we didn’t know. It was a small toe injury, things didn’t really heal out, there was pain even though we couldn’t see what it was. 

“Even though some injuries might be worse, we still know what to do. We didn’t really know and if it was just us trying to deal with the pain for the rest of her career or not.” 

Knaak added: “I went from the x-ray with the doctors having been told I would be back in six weeks.  

“I felt my whole rehab was a set-back. I remember the first weeks were okay, but something didn’t feel right, but I was pushing through.  

“I just kept going although it was quite painful, but the medical staff said it wasn’t right so they extended the six weeks for six weeks, then for six weeks, then for three months, then for six weeks. 

“I was never on a constant scale, I was either at a nine or a one both physically and mentally, pain wise.

I really tried to trust the process and not stress, but it got harder and harder the more setbacks I got.” 

As those challenges continued and the pain refused to subside following surgery, Kackur recalls a ‘dark’ period where all eventualities were being discussed.  

He said: “The dark moments were days when we were discussing and talking about ‘will this ever end?’ and ‘will this be the end of her career?’. 

“A lot of players with injuries have faced these things, but I would say it was, in one way, another level. It all comes down to there being so many things that weren’t clear.  

“That’s the level of darkness because you can’t really see a way out.” 

Knaak admits that retirement, at just 26, began to become a genuine possibility. 

She added: “I did think about it [retiring], and I started saying it out loud which scared me. The injury was in October and I said it in the summer after that where I was still in pain.  

“Looking back, I think I said it as a coping mechanism to know I could still do something else, I don’t know if I really meant it, at the time I did because I didn’t want to think about the pain anymore.”  

Standing side by side with her during the process was Seger who was recovering from an Achilles tendon injury at the same time and the pair were precious counsel for each other during a difficult stage of their careers. 

The Swede said: “I saw how hard she worked. She pushed me and I pushed her and we did it together. You go through a lot of emotions, it’s up and down, up and down.  

“When you’re in a situation like that, it’s never fun but at least we did it together and that made the journey a lot easier.”  

In total, Knaak had five surgeries on her big toe to correct the injury which included consultations with medical professionals in Germany.  

And remarkably in only four weeks, she was back on the field – playing the final 10 minutes for Rosengard in a 2-1 Champions League qualifier away win over Serbian side Spartak Subotica in October 2023.  

Following that success, Rebecca never looked back and reestablished her status as a key member of the team which would go on to achieve future, sparkling success.  

Therese Sjogran, Rosengard’s Sporting Director at the time, immediately noticed a renewed physical and mental strength in Knaak when she returned to the field. 

“When you are out for a while, you normally come back stronger because you have time to build yourself up in a way that you can’t during the season,” she explained. 

“It was really hard for her mentally as well, but she came back stronger in every way, and you could see how happy she was to be out there again.  

“Injuries are so tough, but you learn so much. When she came back you could see she was stronger in every aspect.” 

By her own admission, the 2024 Damallsvenskan campaign is where everything seemingly ‘clicked’ for Knaak as Rosengard won the title with 25 victories from 26 games.  

Coming into a side brimming with confidence, she played 19 top-flight matches and scored a staggering 12 goals from centre-back as her former employers raced to the championship.  

Rosengard were presented with the Damallsvenskan crown after a 4-0 home win over Linkoping which is a moment which will forever stay with Seger, especially holding the trophy with Knaak at full-time after everything they went through together.  

She sums it perfectly: “Even talking about it or when you remember the small things, it’s just gives you the chills because it was an amazing season.  

“We cried a lot together and we reminded each other that we did this together.  

Although Knaak starred for Rosengard that year, a call from the Germany national team still didn’t arrive – casting doubts for the defender that she would ever receive that elusive senior international cap. 

“I did perform really well in Sweden and we were very successful and I had a good season but I didn’t get any contact,” she said.  

“At that point I said it would be done now, there is no way they’re going to invite me or call me up next year because it’s the Euros in the summer. 

“I was a bit frustrated at that point, but that would’ve been okay as well and I had accepted it, but I was hoping for it.  

“This dream was still alive and then it came a bit closer and in the end it was more like a goal again. Maybe the three, four, five years between Freiburg and Sweden it felt quite far away.  

“[But] The dream was alive the whole time again [after my time in Sweden].”  

In October 2024, after an illustrious era in Sweden, Sjogran departed Rosengard to take up the position as City’s Women’s Director of Football – officially taking the reins in December.  

Well aware of Knaak’s ability and potential, she made the German her first signing at the Club in January 2025. 

“I knew her quality would be perfect for this league, and she had the quality to play here but also how she is as a person,” Sjogran said.  

“Even though maybe she’s not loud, she’s a natural leader for me, I knew she’d be a perfect fit, and she has been.” 

And Knaak says Sjogran’s reassurance rubber-stamped her decision to make the move: “I couldn’t believe it to be fair. At the time it was the best thing I could’ve imagined for me and I had a couple of conversations with Therese about it because she knew me as a player and person.  

“I did have a lot of concerns about it because I wasn’t sure if I could make it to the level, but we had good conversations about it, and I said yes. I felt if they wanted to sign me, there was no choice for me but to sign.” 

After attending City’s warm weather training camp in Abu Dhabi immediately after signing, Knaak was then given her Blues debut in our first game back from the winter break – an FA Cup meeting with Ipswich.  

She went on to play all eight of our assignments before February’s international break and made a seamless transition to England’s top-flight with battling displays from the back. 

One of those fixtures ahead of the pause in domestic action included a WSL meeting with Arsenal, but Knaak’s stellar performances since her City switch had already caught the eye. 

She explained: “The German national team contacted before the game against Arsenal just for my phone number so I kind of knew they might be calling me up. 

“I just did my grocery shopping, and I had two bags, then my phone was ringing and I saw the German number so I put the bags down and it was the national team coach.  

“It wasn’t a long conversation, and he told me he was coming to the Arsenal game and that we could chat after. I knew it was probably a good sign, but I didn’t really know.  

“I spoke to him at that game and it was very positive so he gave me a hint but didn’t call me up there and then.” 

Three games then followed before she heard back from Christian Wuck, but the news she had been waiting for did finally arrive and Knaak was named in the senior squad for Nations League matches with the Netherlands and Austria.  

“I was still in bed [when he called] and I just pretended I wasn’t,” she declared.  

“I immediately called my dad and my grandma and grandad straightaway and texted everyone.” 

And she didn’t have to wait long to achieve a lifelong ambition as she was named in the starting line-up for the clash with the Netherlands at centre-back.  

She said: “It was very special to start.

I feel it’s very different to start the game with the anthem and with the whole thing and I did really enjoy that.” 

Rebecca went on to play the full 90 minutes in an enthralling 2-2 draw in what was undoubtedly a precious moment for her family. Knaak’s brother Jonas, for example, couldn’t quite come to terms with what he was seeing. 

“It was really unreal. We couldn’t believe it,” he said.  

“We were at the stadium and she was singing the national anthem, she looked up to me and I recognised my sister plays for the national team. It was so great and I got goosebumps. 

“Then seeing her playing, I thought it was crazy, but also ‘at last’. My mum was just crying and everyone is so proud of her.  

“My dad is not the one who just gives good feedback, he often critiques her, but I just remember he didn’t say a bad word about it, he was just so proud and I think it was great to see it live.” 

One cap quickly became two when she played 87 minutes in a 4-1 win over Austria where Knaak unfortunately suffered an injury which limited her to four more WSL appearances before end of 2024/25.   

However, she returned to full fitness and again proved her worth for City when scoring three goals across those four outings, including a brace in our 5-2 final day win over Crystal Palace.  

Then, all attentions turned to Germany’s squad for the 2025 European Championships.  

Before that, though, Knaak was included in her nation’s squad for Nations League matches with the Netherlands and Austria across May and June.  

And it was in that camp where Wuck revealed who would be travelling to the major tournament to run across July. 

It came as a surprise to the centre-back, but City’s defender was among the 23-player list. 

“We found out before our game against Austria,” Knaak detailed.  

“The coach told me the day before that game which was really nice because I didn’t expect it at that point, so we all thought we were going to go home and then waiting for the call.