Perhaps to the surprise of some, Max Kilman made the leap to top-flight football straight from non-league after joining Wolves from Maidenhead in 2018 – and it was definitely a deal that was worth it in the end.
Going on to captain the club under Gary O’Neil, Kilman made a sensational £40 million switch to West Ham United in the summer of 2024 after six years at Molineux, going from non-league player to one of the world’s most expensive centre-backs in a short period of time.
Kilman took his time to get comfortable with first-team football though, and as Wolves transitioned following the departure of Nuno Espirito Santo in 2021, Sheffield United made a move for his services when they were a Championship club – and recent history has showed that the Blades were ahead of the curve with Kilman as they made an approach for the defender.
And whilst a move never materialised, Kilman’s development over the next few years suggests that then-United boss Slavisa Jokanovic had his eyes in the right place.
Sheffield United eyed up Max Kilman three years before his £40m move.
First-team appearances did not arrive immediately for Kilman at Wolves. Slowly but surely though, his 6 foot 4 inch frame, combined with his intelligence and ball-playing ability honed through his days spent playing futsal, had been refined to cope at the highest level.
In the summer of 2021, following their relegation from the Premier League, the Blades made an ambitious attempt to sign Kilman.
Then, under Slavisa Jokanovic and rebuilding in the Championship, the Blades had identified Kilman as a player with top-flight potential and someone who could play a big part in getting them back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
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