First Team Squad

Player profile and performance records.

Max Kilman (Defender)

Squad Number: 26
Position: Defender
Born: 23rd May 1997 (Chelsea, England)
Signed: 6th Jul 2024 (£40,000,000)
Contract: 7 years
Previous Club: Wolves

KUMB Awards: None.

A former England futsal international, Kilman is one or a decreasing band of pros whose pathway to professional stardom came via the lower leagues.

Having began his career with Alan Devonshire at Maidenhead, Kilman secured a life-changing move to Wolves for an undisclosed fee in 2018.

And since then he has gone on to make nearly 130 appearances for the Molineux-based club, many under new Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui who had made Kilman his number one summer defensive target upon becoming the club's new manager.

2024/25 Match Notes & Ratings

vs Ipswich Town

3-1: Sunday, 25th May
(Played 90 minutes)

Will not look back at this first season at the club with much fondness, but he has shown enough to suggest there is more to come. He has become a bit of a target due to his price tag, but he's had a solid, if unspectacular season and looks far from the problem of this team's defensive work. The block at the end of today's game to keep it 3-1 was fantastic.

vs Nottingham Forest

1-2: Sunday, 18th May
(Played 90 minutes)

The end of a very difficult first season for Kilman, who has struggled to live with that ??40m+ price tag.

vs Manchester United

2-0: Sunday, 11th May
(Played 90 minutes)

Contained Hojlund in open play, used the ball well and showed desire to step forward.

vs Tottenham Hotspur

1-1: Saturday, 3rd May
(Played 90 minutes)

After his error for the first goal, he did a fantastic job on Richarlison and marked him out of the game.

vs Brighton & Hove Albion

2-3: Saturday, 26th April
(Played 90 minutes)

Some good forward work, including a lovely cross for Soucek, and looks better in the left-sided role in a three.

vs Wolverhampton Wanderers

0-1: Tuesday, 1st April
(Played 90 minutes)

Does not dominate the middle of the defence in that role, and whilst he's better on the ball than Mavropanos, he probably is going to need to be better at picking a forward pass.

vs Newcastle United

0-1: Saturday, 8th March
(Played 90 minutes)

In a better world, Kilman is either allowed to head clear or gets given the clear foul against him.

vs Leicester City

2-0: Tuesday, 25th February
(Played 90 minutes)

Did win some very key headers in the rare moments he was tested, and used the ball well.

vs Brentford

0-1: Saturday, 15th February
(Played 90 minutes)

Too meek again today, and far too many loose passes forward, long balls that were hard to control or far short of the player he aimed for.

vs Chelsea

1-2: Monday, 3rd February
(Played 90 minutes)

Kilman had been written off by a good few this season as a meek, mild-mannered defender in need of a real organiser with him. The last two games, with full backs either side of him in the centre of defence, he has proven himself capable of leading. Maybe disorganisation from above was a bigger issue?

vs Aston Villa

1-1: Saturday, 25th January
(Played 90 minutes)

Having struggled badly for 2-3 months, this was a great performance from the centre back. His early interventions were impressive, his passing was crisp and progressive, and he looked back to the settled defender who started the season well.

vs Fulham

3-2: Tuesday, 14th January
(Played 90 minutes)

Still less than commanding in the penalty area. The problem is West Ham appear to have two centre halfs - or three, if you count the absent Todibo - that would look better alongside a senior partner.

vs Southampton

1-0: Thursday, 26th December
(Played 19 minutes)

Sustained what appeared to be a collar bone/shoulder injury which he was unable to shake off. A major doubt for this weekend's visit of Liverpool as a result.

vs AFC Bournemouth

1-1: Saturday, 14th December
(Played 90 minutes)

The defence looked better for most of the game than it has since Newcastle, and Kilman made some key blocks in front of goal to save goals.

vs Wolverhampton Wanderers

2-1: Saturday, 7th December
(Played 90 minutes)

Solid and composed, seemed comfortable in his knowledge of how to stop his former teammates.

vs Leicester City

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

Not much better, the good form from the early season now all gone as Kilman is brought down to the level of this football club, unable to escape the carnage.

vs Arsenal

2-5: Saturday, 30th November
(Played 90 minutes)

Individual mistakes, a shambolic back line he should be leading, five goals conceded. Not his finest hour.

vs Newcastle United

2-0: Saturday, 23rd November
(Played 90 minutes)

Calm and solid, Isak had brief moments but was marshalled better than many have this season.

vs Everton

0-0: Saturday, 9th November
(Played 90 minutes)

Much the same, with Kilman particularly impressive in the air.

vs Manchester United

2-1: Saturday, 26th October
(Played 90 minutes)

A rock, but he is going to need to do better at seeing runs into the box and reacting, especially on crosses.

vs Tottenham Hotspur

1-4: Saturday, 19th October
(Played 90 minutes)

As above. He had his moments, strong in the air, but let down by a team that had no shape.

vs Ipswich Town

4-1: Saturday, 5th October
(Played 90 minutes)

Delap tried to test Todibo, and it failed. Kilman had an easier, more controlled game.

vs Brentford

1-1: Saturday, 28th September
(Played 90 minutes)

What a good defender he is. It will be a shock if Kilman doesn't end up Hammer of the Year, that's how much better his start of the season has been over others.

vs Liverpool

1-5: Wednesday, 25th September
(Played 90 minutes)

vs Chelsea

0-3: Saturday, 21st September
(Played 90 minutes)

Whilst lacking the blame others deserve from the goals, where was the commanding centre back? Where is the player seeing what's happening and plugging gaps? Alvarez gets turned and nobody reacts. It's rudderless.

vs Fulham

1-1: Saturday, 14th September
(Played 90 minutes)

Relatively fine performance, the defence actually protecting Areola reasonably well outside of Mavropanos.

vs Manchester City

1-3: Saturday, 31st August
(Played 90 minutes)

May look at Haaland's second a lot more critically than this report has. Could he have been out to him to stop the shot? It looked more like a case of the quality being so high you just have to accept it.

vs AFC Bournemouth

1-0: Wednesday, 28th August
(Played 90 minutes)

Another good performance. Looks like a leader, and looks a player who has been overlooked for England honours too long. Has all the defensive tools and looks composed on the ball.

vs Crystal Palace

2-0: Saturday, 24th August
(Played 90 minutes)

Just every bit the defender West Ham needed. With all the goals conceded last season - we may have all tried to forget the 5-2 defeat here in April - it was suddenly a summer about solid defenders and ripping up what we had back there. And whilst that was right, the need for a centre back who could pass out from the back, and drive out with the ball, was still there from Moyes's time at the club. Even his best side was missing that, and whilst Aguerd didn't quite kick on and become that, Kilman looks a safe bet to be that guy. He was magnificent in his basics as a defender and his forward play.

vs Aston Villa

1-2: Saturday, 17th August
(Played 90 minutes)

As the game went on, he seemed to grab the authority that someone at the back needed to have and performed.