Maximilian Kilman is sure that West Ham United’s first preseason game against Grasshopper Club Zurich will give the right test to get ready for the next season.
A week-long camp has Hammers now in the Black Forest area of south Germany. Following demanding exercises under manager Graham Potter, the team is getting ready to go into Switzerland for their pre-season kick-off.
“I think it’s been a really positive camp,” remarked Kilman. “We’ve been able to incorporate plenty of our Academy players and have had the opportunity to work with Malick (El Hadji Malick Diouf) over the last few days.”
He added: “The atmosphere has been really good. It’s our first pre-season under the Head Coach, so it’s exciting that he’s got time to really incorporate what he wants to do this season, and we have been able to work on a lot of different things.
“We have a lot of time, and we’ve been working really hard, so I think we can come off a good week with a positive result and look to progress further into pre-season.
“We aren’t going to be the finished article (against Grasshopper Club Zurich), but it’s about getting the manager’s message across, doing the stuff we have been working on and getting some minutes in the legs.”
The Chelsea-born defender was a key figure for West Ham in the 2024/25 Premier League season, starting all 36 matches and playing 3,169 minutes, which was the most by any outfield player at the club.
“It’s the beginning of a new season, and the first pre-season game is always important to see how fit you are and get a measure of how strong you are already physically, but it’ll be a good test for us,” he continued.
“We know they’re one of the most successful clubs in Switzerland, and we’re looking forward to playing against opposition from another country, as they have different playing styles. When you come back into the Premier League, you’ll then be more adaptable to different things that might be thrown at you in different games.”
The Hammers seem prepared to begin their preseason with great intention as all eyes are on Zurich.
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