Captain Maximilian Kilman has committed his future to Wolves, signing a new five-year contract on the eve of the new Premier League season.
The defender, who is heading into his sixth season at the club, is now an established part of the Old Gold set-up and was handed the armband by new head coach Gary O’Neil this week.
Signed from Maidenhead United to the club’s academy in 2018, Kilman has increased his presence in the first-team year on year since, having made his debut against Fulham at the end of his maiden campaign.
Drip fed into the team primarily though Europa League games in 2019/20, opportunities increased with football behind-closed-doors under Nuno Espirito Santo, who developed him into a central defender comfortable in possession.
It was under Bruno Lage where the 26-year-old claimed the regular spot he’d never relinquish, playing consistently in a back three, and getting off the mark with a first senior goal against Everton in November 2021.
Last season, the defender was a constant, missing just one Premier League game and becoming a growing personality in the group, helping form the club’s senior leadership group.
Set to lead Wolves out at Manchester United for the season opener on Monday evening, Kilman has ensured his future is with the club, signing a new deal until 2028.
Sporting director Matt Hobbs said: “This is what Max deserves. We’ve been talking to Max since the end of last season and his evolution, not just through the club, but through his role in the first-team, has built a strong foundation for him.
“There was lots of interest in Max, we had several offers, but we haven’t shifted in wanting him to stay. We believe he’s the soul of the team, having been here for a long time now, so he was never a player we considered selling.
“In what’s been an unsettled time for the club, announcing a new head coach and our captain committing long-term shows the noise outside doesn’t match what we feel is going on inside.
“Although the manager changed, nothing changed for Max. He’s been very excited by what he’s seen from Gary and his team the first couple of days. Then we obviously told Gary and he was keen to get it done because he was going to be his captain, so we got it done as soon as we could.”
Kilman has now played more than 100 times for Wolves, having signed for a nominal fee five years ago, and Hobbs believes a number of individuals deserve praise for his rise, including the defender himself.
Hobbs said: “His journey almost mirrors mine. I signed Max into the academy and giving him a new, long-term deal as sporting director, our paths have aligned slightly, so it’s been really nice. It was great work done by the academy, Rob Edwards at the time, and Nuno was great for him.
“Max’s temperament also helped because a lot of boys now are desperate to get out on loan, but because Max came to us late, we felt the best thing was for him to stay and be around the best players. The journey is different for everyone but this one has been perfect for Max.
“There aren’t many of these stories and he’s probably not heralded as much as he should be. We know what we’ve got, he’s not one to put himself out there, but everyone at the club has so much time for Max because of the person he is. We all believe in him and the length of it shows that, but also shows how much he loves the club.”
