West Ham United‘s new signing, Max Kilman, has expressed his optimism ahead of the club’s Premier League opener against Aston Villa.
The defender, who joined the Hammers from Wolves earlier this summer for £40 million, has been impressed by the team’s progress during pre-season and believes that the squad is well-prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.
Kilman highlighted the importance of implementing manager Julen Lopetegui’s tactical approach and praised the team’s attacking flair, showcased during the pre-season friendly against Celta Vigo.
It was great to play at home in front of our fans for the first time. We worked on everything in training this week and we executed the game plan quite well.” said Kilman to the clubs Official Website.
The former Wolves skipper went on to add: “The manager has worked us really hard in pre season and everyone is understanding more the way he wants us to play. He wants us to play out from the back. Of course there will be times when we take a bit of a risk, but it is a calculated risk and if we execute it well we’ll (progress) with more quality.”
As the club prepares for the new season, the defender is eager to make his mark and contribute to West Ham’s success. Now that he is to be paired with Jean-Clair Todibo at the back – or indeed should Lopetegui stick to form and go for a back three possibly with Aguerd or Cresswell filling in on the left – Kilman has a lot of work to do with his new defensive colleagues to try and achieve that rare thing – a clean sheet – that proved so elusive last season when 74 goals were shipped.