BBC pundit Wayne Rooney believes West Ham defender Max Kilman should have been sent off in the 2-2 draw against Bournemouth.

The centre-back deliberately handled the ball in the box and gave away a penalty when the score was 2-0 to the Hammers. While Marcus Tavernier scored the resulting spotkick, Cherries boss Andoni Iraola felt that Kilman deserved a red card for denying a goal. Speaking on Match of the Day, Rooney agreed with the Spaniard:

“He’s very lucky. I think he gets himself in a position where he’s trying to cover, and he slides past the player. And as we see on this angle here, you see a movement with his right hand towards the ball, and it’s a penalty, and it has to be a red card; he’s six yards out. It’s a clear goal-scoring opportunity. So it baffles me that that’s not a red card.”

Kilman would have been suspended for the match against Liverpool this weekend if he had received his marching orders.

It was an eventful game for Kilman

The 28-year-old was in the thick of the action, clearing a ball off the line, conceding the penalty and then failing to mark Enes Unal for the equaliser.

For a player who cost £40m, you would expect a lot more consistency, but Kilman has struggled to justify his transfer fee since arriving at the London Stadium last year.

West Ham could sign a replacement in January

The Irons are expected to bring in a centre-back when the transfer window reopens, and with Jean-Clair Todibo having improved in recent games, Kilman is more likely to be the one axed in favour of a new addition.

Lecce’s Tiago Gabriel, Toulouse’s Charlie Cresswell and Lille’s Alexsandro have all been mentioned as potential targets.

Read more about the West Ham First Team Squad for 2025/26 here