Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Nuno Espirito Santo has revealed that he could hand 21-year-old Max Kilman his debut over the next couple of weeks after fully integrating the youngster into the first team.
The versatile defender arrived at Molineux from Maidenhead last season and has been on the fringes of the senior side since winter, appearing on the substitutes’ bench on Boxing Day.
Now Nuno has revealed he could unleash the centre back, who can also play on the left hand side of defence, before the season is out after giving him a chance to bed in among the senior players.
He told the Express and Star: “Max is 100 per cent integrated into the squad
“He’s improving. We try an individual approach with him, trying to, first of all, get him better as an athlete. That includes a lot of aspects – nutrition, gym. And then we integrate him into a full training session with the first team, because playing and training with us will improve his level.
“He’s gradually improving and he will have his chance, for sure. He will have his chance. (Could that be this season?) Of course.”
Opinion
As a centre back at Molineux Kilman has quite the fight on his hands to make his mark among the first team, with Conor Coady and Willy Boly having been absolutely exceptional in the starting XI. The only way Kilman could possibly have thought about taking their places in the team would be through injury or suspension but it seems as though Nuno is willing to give him the opportunity regardless. There is not an awful lot for the Molineux outfit to play for, having comfortably secured a mid-table finish in the Premier League and slipping to defeat in the FA Cup semi finals, so it gives the manager a chance to rotate his side with little risk of losing anything other than pride. If Kilman is seen as a future star then this could be the best time to give him a run out ahead of the summer, where he will no doubt be fighting to earn himself a starting role for next season.