Nuno Espirito Santo has backed Max Kilman to win over the West Ham supporters after the defender was booed by his own fanbase against Leeds United.

Defender Kilman has struggled for form since making a £40m switch from Wolves in 2024.

The 28-year-old was jeered by sections of the London Stadium crowd after he clumsily gave away a penalty in the shoot-out defeat against Leeds in the FA Cup on Sunday.

“Look, I think in terms of the fans they are giving much more to us than us to them. So we cannot complain,” said Hammers boss Nuno, whose side face Wolves in a crunch relegation clash on Friday night, live on Sky Sports.

“I saw a good game from Max. OK, he was in a penalty incident, but I think he held on quite well.

“He made a good game, especially for a player that was not involved for such a long period, in terms of competing, duels, in possession, and he was in the build-up for a goal.

“So he did a lot of good things and I think he handled the situation well. And at the same time, the group helped. I saw team-mates going around him and supporting.

“It shows a lot of togetherness among ourselves. It’s positive. He’s OK. He’s working well.”