Gareth Southgate confirms Max Kilman is on his radar

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Wolves defender Max Kilman has been talked about as a potential England defender but he has not been included in the most recent squad.

Gareth Southgate has called up six central defenders for the friendlies against Switzerland and the Ivory Coast but Kilman is not one of them.

Wolves captain Conor Coady, along with Harry Maguire, John Stones, Tyrone Mings, Ben White and uncapped Marc Guehi are included.

And Southgate was asked at his press conference which went along with the announcement of the squad why Kilman was not involved.

“He’s had a good season with Wolves,” said Southgate when asked about Kilman. “There are a lot of good defenders around.

“We do our due diligence. We know the attributes which are needed for the balance of the team. He’s very much on our radar.

“He’s one of a number we tracked closely. Marc Guehi, his consistency, the way he’s played over a long period of time with Crystal Palace; calm with the ball, aggressive without it… it will be good to see him closely but the door is always open.”

That word – consistency – may well be a hint at what Southgate wants to see from Kilman before he makes him an international.

Southgate came to watch Wolves vs Crystal Palace earlier this month, when the home side were utterly dominated and Kilman gave away a penalty.

Guehi certainly came off better that day and Kilman dipped his level at a crucial moment. That will be a lesson for the Wolves man, whose time should come in future if he keeps playing like he is on the most consistent basis possible.

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