Max Kilman became the new captain of Wolves last summer – and he has now shared what really surprised him about the role in the beginning.
Kilman took the armband at Molineux after midfielder Ruben Neves departed after six years at the club. The star joined Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal – a move that some fans are still not quite over.
Neves leaving was upsetting for many as he was an extremely popular figure at Molineux. It also meant that someone would have to step up as a new captain.
And Kilman was the man chosen to succeed the Portuguese, and he has been speaking about his role as skipper.
He admits that there was one thing about taking the captaincy that actually took him by surprise…
Max Kilman admits there are ‘much more’ responsibilities than he thought being captain
Kilman played as though the armband weighed heavy in the first few weeks of the 2023/24 season.
Up until the game with Manchester City – when everything changed – Wolves struggled for results in the Premier League and were conceding goals too easily.
Kilman was struggling for form initially, and perhaps the armband was a factor.
But as the season went on, Kilman improved and he had a really strong middle of the campaign. He had started to get used to being a leader, and the system change also perhaps helped him.
For some on social media, the jury is still out on Kilman as captain. There are people who would prefer someone like Mario Lemina or Matheus Cunha, who are bigger personalities, to wear the armband.
But Kilman – who is reported to be a transfer target for West Ham United and Julen Lopetegui – has his own way of leading. He says (via Wolves official): “I’m obviously very calm and kind of a modern leader. I try to lead by example, be a good role model and be there for my teammates.”
The role of captain can be tricky for those it perhaps doesn’t come completely natural to. Kilman looks comfortable with it now, but he admits it caught him off guard a bit at first, purely because of how many responsibilities there are that come with it.
“There’s much more [responsibilities] than I thought, he added. “When I first got the captaincy, I didn’t know how much there was. There’s a lot of conversations, lots of interviews and making lots of decisions for the group – being the link between players and the manager.”
Kilman has done well as captain
Kilman has been a good captain so far since taking the armband from Neves.
It was going to be an unenviable task for whoever was going to become captain after Neves, who was so often such an inspirational performer for Wolves.
So Kilman can be fairly pleased with the job he has done. He always speaks well in interviews, taking a measured and professional approach to things. That was needed at times in 2023/24, especially when there was fury over controversial decisions.
Some feel like he could perhaps still be a bit more vocal. But Kilman has his own style and still commands respect from his teammates, and the team is not lacking loud voices with the likes of Lemina and Cunha around.