As stories in football go, few are as remarkable as West Ham United’s latest summer signing Maximilian Kilman’s, with it proving there is no right or wrong route to the Premier League.
The defender isn’t the first player to go from non-league to the top-flight but his meteoric rise to the pinnacle of English football comes with a slight twist – he earned 25 caps for the England national futsal team prior to his move to the top.
In 2018, Kilman became the first footballer to directly move from non-league football to the Premier League in ten years, following in the footsteps of Chris Smalling, and has not looked back since.
Having been on the books at Wolverhampton Wanderers since 2018, the defender has completed a transfer to east London where his talents, determination and leadership qualities will surely endear him to the Claret and Blue Army, having been appointed captain at Molineux for the 2023/24 campaign.
Maximilian’s Wolves debut arrived at the end of his first season in Old Gold, when he came on as a substitute in a 1-0 Premier League victory over Fulham on 4 May 2019, while his full debut came on the European stage against Armenian side FC Pyunik in August 2019.
There, and throughout the next six years, Kilman developed into an established Premier League centre-back, and became one of just two outfield players to feature in all 3,420 minutes of top-flight action last season for their clubs, showcasing an outstanding level of consistency for Gary O’Neil’s side.
Not only can the west London-born player defend strongly, but he is also capable both of building attacks with his passing, and can cause havoc in the opposition box too.
Now back in his native London, the 6ft 4in defender, who labels himself ‘strong, fast and composed on the ball’, is eager to continue on improving and reach his highest potential in east London.
Sat in the Chairman’s Lounge at London Stadium for the first time after completing his transfer on Friday, the Irons’ newest signing talked about his switch to the Club, his unique and varied footballing journey, being reunited with new Hammers Head Coach Julen Lopetegui and why he has chosen to continue his football journey in Claret and Blue…