Troy Deeney says he has seen a player at West Ham who plays like a young Rio Ferdinand West Ham United have picked up their first win of the season. The Irons suffered a frustrating 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa on the opening day of the new Premier League campaign, but that’s almost forgotten now.
West Ham secured all three points against Crystal Palace on Saturday thanks to second-half goals from Tomas Soucek and Jarrod Bowen. Troy Deeney was very impressed with the Hammers, but only one player made it into his Team of the Week on BBC Sport.
Troy Deeney compares West Ham’s Max Kilman to Rio Ferdinand. West Ham signed Max Kilman from Wolves this summer in a £40 million deal.
There were a few eyebrows raised about the price tag at the time considering that the defender played for a club that conceded 65 goals in the Premier League last season. Those concerns are now out of the window.
Kilman started and played the full game against Crystal Palace on Saturday, and he was one of the best players on the pitch.
The defender was so assured in and out of possession, and the way he carried the ball out from the back was really good to see. Deeney has included Kilman in his Team of the Week, and he has gone as far as comparing the former Wolves man to a young Rio Ferdinand.
He said: “He was a monster for West Ham. They were under a lot of pressure. “He was like a young Rio [Ferdinand] the way he stepped out and played the ball that sent Jarrod Bowen away to score.”
Kilman’s stats in West Ham vs Crystal Palace will blow you away
Kilman looks like he is going to be a star at West Ham.
Julen Lopetegui knows the defender really well having worked with him at Wolves, and his decision to bring him to the London Stadium looks like a great one now.
In his 90 minutes against Palace, Kilman had 78 touches of the ball and maintained a very impressive 89 per cent passing accuracy. The defender picked up an assist and also created two chances, which is fantastic for a centre-half.
Defensively, Kilman, as Deeney described him, was a ‘monster’.
He made six clearances, three interceptions and a tackle while also winning every single one of his attempted aerial duels. He was also successful with three of his four ground duels (SofaScore). It was a brilliant display by Kilman, and if he can keep this form going, West Ham will be in a really good place.
