Chris Maxwell on the importance of his sweeper-keeper role for Blackpool

The 30-year-old has made it a key facet of his game this season with the urgency he shows to sprint off his goalline to clear away any long balls over the top of Blackpool’s back four.

Pool’s skipper did, however, make an error during Saturday’s 2-0 defeat against Ipswich Town when he charged off his line to thwart Troy Parrott, only to mistime his challenge and bring the forward down.

Maxwell, who was only booked for the incident, held his hands up and admitted the error, saying he’s got it right more often than not this season.

“It’s something I’ve prided myself on since my career began. I believe it’s one of my strengths in my game,” Pool’s keeper told The Gazette.

“But it also has to go hand-in-hand with the team you play for and how they play. It’s no secret we play a very high line and we like to press the opposition, so that role for the goalkeeper for Blackpool is essential.

“You’re going to get things wrong sometimes, but that one mistake I’ll take any day to have 50 times do it right.

“It’s an important job. Sometimes it doesn’t go right but that’s football.”

Prior to Blackpool’s defeat at Portman Road, the Seasiders had kept back-to-back clean sheets in their wins over Wigan Athletic and Northampton Town.

Maxwell has kept nine shutouts in 21 league games this season, the fifth best record in League One.

“I’m very, very proud of our clean sheet record but it’s not just from a personal point of view,” Maxwell said.

“So much effort and so much energy goes into pressing teams, stopping the opposition and nullifying their strengths.

“We’re really proud of our record as a group. I’m not one of those people that like to say it’s all about me and talk about my personal achievements because those clean sheets belong to the team, not just me.

“Every single player that comes into the back four, and we’ve had quite a few different variations throughout the season, we’ve always been well-drilled and we always know what to do.

“The manager gives us the tools and then it’s up to us as a team to relay the messages he’s given us throughout the week and throughout the whole campaign and then act them out on the pitch.”

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