Wolves have had a solid season from a defensive point of view under Bruno Lage, having conceded just 17 goals in 23 Premier League games, with only leaders Manchester City boasting a better record in that department.

One figure who has played a big part in Wanderers' impressive defence this season is Max Kilman, who has racked up more minutes than any other outfield player at Molineux in 2021/22, which just goes to show how valuable he is to the team and how highly Lage rates him.

Wolves secured the 24-year-old, who has been described as an "outstanding" player in the past by Old Gold captain Conor Coady, on a free transfer back in 2018 from Maidenhead United.

Since then, the defender has gone on to make 80 appearances for the Old Gold for their under-23 and senior teams across all competitions, chipping in with three goals and two assists along the way.

This season has seen the Englishman, who is currently earning £14k-per-week according to Salary Sport, prove himself as a very capable Premier League defender by racking up an overall performance rating of 7.01/10, making him Wolves' fourth-highest rated player according to WhoScored.

In December 2019, Kilman's market value was listed as £900k by Transfermarkt, whereas it now stands at £8.1m, which just goes to show how much the player has grown and developed on the pitch for the Midlands club.

Taking all this into account, it's safe to say that signing the defender on a free transfer has turned out to be a very clever piece of business from Wolves, who are now reaping the rewards with his performances.

This shows just what can happen when a club gives a young player the chance to prove himself in the Premier League rather than having to spend money on a new player in every position.

If the centre-back can end the season by maintaining the same standard of performance has shown up to now, he could end up being viewed as one of Wolves' most important players and perhaps even in with a shout of a potential call-up to the England squad.

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