Max Kilman’s £40m transfer to West Ham – and the club he will change

July 9, 2024

This move will change the future of Maidenhead United, where the hunt for the next Max Kilman has already begun.

Maidenhead is a part-time non-league club that plays in the National League, four leagues below the Premier League. They have never made it into the top four professional leagues. They are based in Berkshire, about 30 miles west of London, and are coached by Alan Devonshire, a West Ham United legend and 1980 FA Cup winner. Maidenhead’s link with West Ham has only grown stronger following the £40 million ($51 million) move of former academy graduate Kilman.

When the defender was sold to Wolverhampton Wanderers for £40,000 in 2018, Maidenhead chairman Peter Griffin inserted a sell-on clause. Although he refused to disclose how much they will gain financially from Kilman’s move, he admits it will change the direction of the club’s long-term plans after the centre-back is reunited with Julen Lopetegui. Even a 10 per cent sell-on clause will be life-changing for a club of this size.

“I spoke to Max (Kilman) last week when negotiations were taking place,” says Griffin. “It was no secret that he really wanted to join West Ham. I told him how proud we are of him and how grateful we are that he will transform the club. I can’t put a figure on it but all parties had to negotiate to get the deal done. A mutually acceptable position has been reached that all parties are happy with.”

Devonshire has been in charge in Maidenhead since 2015 (Lewis Storey/Getty Images)

“We play part-time in the National League (which is predominantly full-time) and had plans to move to full-time but were unable to do so due to lack of funds. This year we will remain part-time but when we sit down with Alan (Devonshire) and the coaching staff we will certainly discuss moving to full-time next season.

“It’s all thanks to Max’s transfer. Not every player outside of the league reaches such a high level as he does. We are so proud and now our goal is to find the next Max. We have been a selling club for a long time, so hopefully this money will allow us to keep our star players a little longer.”

Kilman has signed a seven-year contract and will re-team with new West Ham head coach Lopetegui, who made him captain when he was Wolves manager. The 27-year-old is Lopetegui’s third summer signing, following the signings of winger Luis Guilherme and goalkeeper Wes Foderingham.

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To Maidenhead’s relief, Wolves initially rejected West Ham’s opening offer of £25 million for Kilman, but he was Lopetegui’s preferred transfer target. Last summer, the defender was the subject of interest from Italian club Napoli. Kilman is West Ham’s third recognised centre-back alongside captain Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd, but their future is uncertain. The new signing has travelled to Austria for a pre-season training camp with his new team-mates.

Griffin has been monitoring transfer speculation surrounding Kilman since he left York Road and joined Wolves.

Maidenhead’s York Road home could be improved with the Kilman money (Mark Kerrison/In Pictures via Getty Images)

“Last summer Napoli tried to sign Max but Wolves didn’t want to sell him,” says Griffin. “They gave him an extended contract and made him captain of the club. This summer it was a little different as Lopetegui became head coach of West Ham. He really likes Max and in the last month or so we started to think, ‘Wow, this could actually happen.’ We’re just thrilled it’s worked out.”

“When we sell players, we always add a sell-on clause, regardless of the transfer fee. We’ve managed to get a small advantage on one or two. When Max was sold to Wolves, he went straight to the under-23s and within a year he was making his first-team debut. Luckily for us, that triggered another payment, so we could pretty much tick off the games he played.

“When a former player moves to the Premier League, that team instantly becomes your second club. The pride you feel in their progress is simply indescribable. Max was earning a few hundred pounds a week at Maidenhead United and is now earning life-changing money.”

Griffin will hold a supporters meeting in due course to outline how the money will be used. Griffin’s priorities include improving the infrastructure at York Road, improving the women’s team and the club’s work in the community.

Kilman during his time in Maidenhead (Photo: Mick Vogel)

“We’ve always had plans, but lack of money has always been the problem,” he says. “The money that comes in doesn’t just benefit the first team. It’s a chance for us to grow the whole club. It’s a lot of money and we can’t be careless with it. We’ve been in the National League for seven years and we’re always favourites for relegation, so hopefully we can consider the other end of the table. We’re a club that’s used to not having money, but that won’t change us one bit.”

Kilman highlighted his journey from amateur leagues to the Premier League in his farewell message to Wolves fans. The defender made 151 appearances during his six-year spell at the club but had an unusual route to the London Stadium, playing futsal 25 times for England and spending 2016/17 on loan at Marlow.

Kilman began his playing career in Fulham’s U9 team, but the staff were unsure if he would develop technically.

He was released in the U15 league and his parents Maria and Alex consoled him. His father, who died in 2020, had a big influence on the defender continuing to play football. When Kilman doubted his abilities, his father remained confident that he would make it. His younger brother Michael plays in Chelsea’s academy and Max tries to be the role model his father was for him.

Kilman had a brief stint in Gillingham’s academy before making a single appearance for Welling United in the London Senior Cup. His move to Maidenhead in 2015 would change the course of his career. It was under Devonshire that Kilman showed flashes of his potential.

“As chairman of the club, I don’t take credit for player performance,” says Griffin. “That’s down to Alan and the coaches. We’ve got ex-academy players playing in League Two and League One and the Premier League with Max. Playing in the National League can be pretty brutal but he’s done very well. We knew he was a real talent and Alan and his team-mates kept saying ‘Max is next’ but I’d be lying if I knew he’d be that good.”

A loan to nearby Marlow, further down the pyramid, helped Kilman improve the physical side of his game. The defender continued to develop under coach Mark Bartley and a former teammate is not surprised Kilman has reached the top flight.

“When players drop back to our level, it can sometimes be a culture shock for them because the pitches aren’t that great and it’s a real struggle,” says Allen Bossman. “But Max didn’t care. From the first day of training you could see that he was special. He wasn’t afraid to tackle and all the boys liked him even more after his first day. He was on the ball and there was never a game where he wasn’t good. He was there for training every Tuesday and Thursday.

“There was a game, I don’t remember who it was against, but the club’s goalkeeper shot the ball wide towards Max. We expected Max to head the ball but he brought it down, the touch was incredible, he charged with the ball and crossed it in and our striker scored. To be honest, Max was very special. After the game we said to him: ‘You are too good for this level.'”

Matt Hobbs, who is now Wolves’ sporting director after a time as an academy scout, first spotted Kilman in 2016 when he was playing for England’s futsal team. Hobbs learned he played for Maidenhead and attended a pre-season friendly to watch the defender. Kilman eventually joined Wolves in 2018.

“It’s crazy that the guy I played with is doing so well in the Premier League and was signed for £40 million,” says Bossman. “He deserves his success. I remember we had a training session and Max took this player out. We laughed because we didn’t think Max was that good at tackling. The player Max took out didn’t even get mad. His response was, ‘It’s Max, I can’t be mad at him.’

“I can imagine Max becoming the next captain of West Ham and England must be his next destination. He can become a top international player. From the amateur league to England would be the perfect end to his story.”