Ashley Maynard-Brewer: 'I was heading towards the Charlton Athletic exit door more than once - I take pride in extending my time at the football club'

Exclusive interview with Australian goalkeeper, who spent more than a decade on the Addicks' books

Nobody needs to tell Ashley Maynard-Brewer that his Charlton Athletic career was affected by injuries - but equally he takes great satisfaction from the fact he extended his time with the south-east London club when he seemed poised for the exit door.

The goalkeeper, 26, spent more than a decade on the Addicks’ books before making a January transfer to Dundee United.

Maynard-Brewer featured 87 times for Charlton with 19 of those coming in last season’s League One play-off winning season.

The Australian had made 18 successive starts in the previous campaign, recording eight clean sheets, when he suffered a groin injury at Birmingham City in the middle of February. Will Mannion replaced him between the posts and stayed number one, clocking up shutouts in all of the play-off ties. Maynard-Brewer only came back in for the home win over Burton on the final day of the regulation season, as boss Nathan Jones opted for rest and rotation of his squad.

So was Maynard-Brewer left thinking without that setback against the Blues that it could have been him starting at Wembley against Leyton Orient?

“Yeah, definitely,” he told South London Sport: Charlton Athletic Edition. “That is probably my biggest frustration.

“I have no regrets about my time at Charlton. I had some really good times in the team, but I was never quite able to assert myself as the first-choice goalkeeper.