First Team Squad

Player profile and performance records.

Callum Wilson (striker)

Squad Number: 9
Position: striker
Born: 27th Feb 1992 (Coventry, England)
Signed: 2nd Aug 2025 (£0)
Contract: 1 year (signed August 2025)
Previous Club: Free Transfer

KUMB Awards: None.

The much-travelled goalscorer began his career with his hometown club Coventry City, where he broke into the first team following loans at Conference Premier clubs Kettering and Tamworth.

Wilson signed for AFC Bournemouth in 2014, winning the Championship in his first season and playing for five seasons in the Premier League before moving to Newcastle United in 2020 for a fee in the region of ??20million.

Having failed to agree terms with Newcastle upon the expiry of his existing contract, Wilson was granted a free transfer - at which point West Ham pounced in order to replace the outgoing Michail Antonio, ironically a good friend (and fellow podcast host) of Wilson's.

With nine senior caps to his name, Wilson was called up to the England senior team for the first time in November 2018 for a friendly match against the United States and a UEFA Nations League match against Croatia.

He made his debut when starting against the USA at Wembley, a game in which he scored in the 77th minute - thus becoming the first Bournemouth player to score for England.

After a three-year absence he was named in England's squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and was introduced as a 76th minute substitute in England's opening match against Iran, a 6?EUR"2 win.

2025/26 Match Notes & Ratings

vs Newcastle United

1-3: Sunday, 17th May
(Played 90 minutes)

The decision to start him should be the decision that sees the end of Nuno, as it was the decision that saw the end of West Ham in the Premier League. Not got the legs, not actually as clutch a finisher as suggested, the freebie no fan wanted was the man tasked with leading the line in this vital game. Not a single part of it worked, and he somehow played the whole game.

vs Arsenal

0-1: Saturday, 9th May
(Played 5 minutes, sub)

(Disasi 85') Did about all he could, a good block stopping one effort and then a great finish on the disallowed goal.

vs Crystal Palace

0-0: Monday, 20th April
(Played 15 minutes, sub)

(Pablo 75') Made no impact on the game, his best moment holding off a defender so he couldn't jump for a ball that went through to Castellanos.

vs Wolverhampton Wanderers

4-0: Friday, 10th April
(Played 8 minutes, sub)

(Castellanos 82') Put himself into good positions but wasn't getting anything by then.

vs Aston Villa

0-2: Sunday, 22nd March
(Played 45 minutes, sub)

(Castellanos 46') Made no impact, unable to hold the ball up to any great effect. Looks very much like he's a striker who can only make a difference in the box.

vs Brentford

2-2: Monday, 9th March

(Fernandes 106') Glimpses of why he was brought on as he looked to get a sniff of something in and around the Brentford box. Superb penalty.

vs Fulham

1-0: Wednesday, 4th March
(Played 61 minutes)

Never in the game, and the one moment he got close, he fluffed his lines. Four passes in an hour of football just isn't enough.

vs AFC Bournemouth

0-0: Saturday, 21st February
(Played 18 minutes, sub)

(Soucek 72?EUR(TM)) Unlucky not to score, his instincts as a striker made the side more dangerous as he made the right runs and gave the defenders something different to contend with.

vs Burton Albion

1-0: Saturday, 14th February
(Played 105 minutes)

Had the odd moment where his smart movement got him space, but struggled to get onto the ball or threaten too often.

vs Manchester United

1-1: Tuesday, 10th February
(Played 21 minutes, sub)

(Castellanos 69') Surprised many with a run that made him look 10 years younger, although he probably should have done more with it.

vs Burnley

2-0: Saturday, 7th February
(Played 90 minutes)

Just didn't get into the game at all, not that he didn't work hard, just not up to the pace of the others and not made for a fighting, defensive performance from the front. 7 passes in nearly an hour, the least touches or passes of any player who started.

vs Chelsea

2-3: Saturday, 31st January
(Played 14 minutes, sub)

(Castellanos 76') Didn't make any sort of impact and isn't a striker for a game where you need energy to defend on the front foot and a presence that holds the ball up.

vs Sunderland

3-1: Saturday, 24th January
(Played 19 minutes, sub)

(Pablo 71') Worked hard and did what was asked of him. No real impact going forward but certainly not his fault.

vs Sunderland

3-1: Saturday, 24th January
(Played 19 minutes, sub)

(Pablo 71') Nearly got an assist when heading at goal late on.

vs Tottenham Hotspur

2-1: Saturday, 17th January
(Played 0 minutes, sub)

(Castellanos '90+1) Thrown on for the final few minutes and scored what could yet be a season-saving winning goal in injury time. The perfect cameo.

vs Wolverhampton Wanderers

0-3: Saturday, 3rd January
(Played 90 minutes)

Poor display up front yesterday. Was constantly tormented by big Wolves defenders and offered nothing in terms of his link up play.

vs Wolverhampton Wanderers

0-3: Saturday, 3rd January
(Played 90 minutes)

Too slow and not strong enough. He's a box striker, and that's not something Premier League teams start games with. He's no Haaland.

vs Brighton & Hove Albion

2-2: Tuesday, 30th December
(Played 90 minutes)

Perhaps too early to be brought off but was largely ineffective throughout the game. However, it was good centre forward play to win the penalty.

vs Brighton & Hove Albion

2-2: Tuesday, 30th December
(Played 90 minutes)

Great in the box, and that presence has got us points this season alone. Lacking outside it, although Bowen is clearly better playing off a natural striker.

vs Fulham

0-1: Saturday, 27th December
(Played 34 minutes, sub)

(Summerville '56) Would feel disappointed to hit both of his shots wide, however caused the Fulham defenders problems when coming on.

vs Aston Villa

2-3: Saturday, 13th December
(Played 9 minutes, sub)

(Magassa 81') Made no impact off the bench, and his inability to occupy a defence as a solo striker actually made us worse.

vs Brighton & Hove Albion

1-1: Saturday, 6th December
(Played 19 minutes, sub)

(Summerville 71') A great substitute appearance, setting up the goal and offering a threat.

vs Manchester United

1-1: Wednesday, 3rd December
(Played 90 minutes)

Worked hard and offered a presence up front that nobody else in the squad really matches, but that little step of pace he's lost limits his threat.

vs Liverpool

0-2: Saturday, 29th November
(Played 90 minutes)

Worked hard but failed to have much of an impact. Should have been replaced sooner.

vs AFC Bournemouth

2-2: Saturday, 22nd November
(Played 90 minutes)

There's scoring goals by being in the right place and using your striker's nous, and then you get the brace he got here, both entirely of his own making and skill. The first goal is absolutely fantastic, the perfection of the chest control into his path on a ball from so far, in wild wind, and dropping over the head of the defender, it was so difficult even before the finish, which he then did with aplomb. A little unlucky to go off so early.

vs Burnley

3-2: Saturday, 8th November
(Played 90 minutes)

Still on the periphery, but he works to find space and that paid off today, finding himself right where he needed to be and reacting sharply to head home.

vs Newcastle United

3-1: Saturday, 1st November
(Played 90 minutes)

A harsh score for a man who worked as hard as he could and made sure he was a presence and a nuisance for the defence to contend with. Lacks the special something, be it skill or pace, that gets him ahead of defenders and more threatening, but going through the hard work of a striker and keeping defenders honest is important.

vs Leeds United

1-2: Saturday, 25th October
(Played 65 minutes, sub)

(Scarles 25') He has no pace and cannot hold the ball up, so is in the team entirely based on striker's instinct, which is not enough to lead the line.

vs Crystal Palace

1-2: Saturday, 20th September
(Played 90 minutes)

He didn't make any costly mistakes, but that's not what strikers really do. However, his inability to run away from a man, make use of limited space in dangerous areas or hold up the ball means he was basically useless for the team. He's a striker who makes service better, not creates it for himself, and he gets little from this team.

vs Tottenham Hotspur

0-3: Saturday, 13th September
(Played 22 minutes, sub)

(Paqueta 68') 20 minutes running around a match that had ended, you'd have sympathy for him being forced into this game if the appearance fee hadn't netted him a nice earner.

vs Nottingham Forest

3-0: Sunday, 31st August
(Played 26 minutes, sub)

(Fullkrug 64') About the best he could do from the bench. Great header, but it's his movement, and the ability to fashion a chance here or there for himself, that makes it clear why he works and Fullkrug doesn't.

vs Wolverhampton Wanderers

2-3: Tuesday, 26th August
(Played 4 minutes, sub)

(Rodriguez 86') A non-entity late on.

vs Chelsea

1-5: Friday, 22nd August
(Played 45 minutes, sub)

(Fullkrug 45') Doesn't get massively involved himself, but does seem to make himself bits of space and has looked more dangerous than Fullkrug.

vs Sunderland

0-3: Saturday, 16th August
(Played 19 minutes, sub)

(Rodriguez 71') To his credit, he had a sense of danger about him, getting close to loose balls and a header on a cross. He had more about him than Fullkrug, whose cute touches come from standing still.