Charlton's young Australian goalkeeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer made his first-team debut in the Checkatrade Trophy on Tuesday evening when the Addicks faced Swansea City U21.
The blossoming stopper's journey from Perth to south-east London started in the UK. He still has family only 30 miles from The Valley in St. Albans. The Hertfordshire-born stopper moved to Western Australia as a one-year-old, where he was taken under former Addick Andy Petterson's wing.
“I was with a semi-professional club in Perth, Western Australia,” Maynard-Brewer said. “The goalkeeper coach at the time was Andy Petterson who played over 100 games here, a fair few in the Premier League, so he set up contact with Phil Chapple, the old head scout.
“I had a good trial and it was set up so that when I was 16 I signed as a scholar.”
The 19-year-old was given starting opportunities during pre-season and believes that it has helped him to grow as a goalkeeper.
“Training with the first-team now and seeing the standard of the players, I've taken what I need to do on board,” he said. “I know the level and intensity I need to be at and I'm just going to keep working towards it.
“I know as a goalkeeper I have to bide my time and, whilst biding my time, I have to keep learning and taking on board what the manager says. But it was a great feeling to make my competitive debut.”
After settling in to life in SE7, Maynard-Brewer has taken confidence from Charlton's impressive record of blooding successful goalkeepers, including Darren Randolph, Rob Elliot and Nick Pope.
He said: “I think that states what the club is about. They always give goalkeepers and young players chances so if I keep working hard in training, playing well with the U23s and taking on board what the coaches say to me, especially Andy Marshall, then more opportunities will come.”