 Crocombe in 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Maxime Teremoana Crocombe[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1993-08-12)12 August 1993 (age 32) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Auckland, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Millwall | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 15 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2009 | Milton Keynes Dons | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Oxford United | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Buckingham Town | 33 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2016 | Oxford United | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | →Banbury United (loan) | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | →Nuneaton Town (loan) | 10 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | →Barnet (loan) | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | →Southport (loan) | 25 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Carlisle United | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | Salford City | 31 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | Brisbane Roar | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Melbourne Victory | 10 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Grimsby Town | 75 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2025 | Burton Albion | 86 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Millwall | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | New Zealand U20 | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | New Zealand U23 | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018– | New Zealand | 21 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 12 November 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 19 November 2025 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Maxime Teremoana Crocombe (born 12 August 1993) is a New Zealand professionalfootballer who plays as agoalkeeper forEFL Championship clubMillwall and theNew Zealand national team.[2]
Crocombe moved toEngland at an early age and began his professional career withOxford United who had signed him from non-League sideBuckingham Town. He went on to play on loan withBanbury United,Nuneaton Town,Barnet andSouthport before signing permanently withCarlisle United. In 2017 he moved toSalford City where he was part of the City side that won back to back promotions to theFootball League. In 2019, he moved to play in theAustralian A-League with spells atBrisbane Roar andMelbourne Victory.
Crocombe was born in Auckland, New Zealand, before moving to England at a young age. He had spells withMilton Keynes Dons andLuton Town[2] before joiningBuckingham Town.[3] Crocombe attendedOakgrove School inMilton Keynes along with fellow footballer and formerGhanaian internationalJeffrey Schlupp.[4]
In the summer of 2009, Crocombe signed forBuckingham Town at the age of 16. He made 33 senior first team appearances before being spotted by scouts of Oxford United.[3] Despite being a goalkeeper he scored one goal in his time at Buckingham Town after coming on as an outfield substitute in a 3–1 league defeat.[5]
Crocombe joined Oxford United as a scholar under youth-team coachChris Allen and signed his first professional contract in April 2012.[6] He almost made his debut shortly afterwards after injuries toRyan Clarke andWayne Brown, and the termination ofConnor Ripley's loan,[7] however Oxford eventually signed Arsenal'sEmiliano Martínez on loan[8] and Crocombe had to wait for his debut. Whilst at the club, he has been coached byAlan Hodgkinson andWayne Brown.[9]
Crocombe'sFootball League debut came in a 1–1 draw withBurton Albion on 29 January 2013.[10] He kept his first clean sheet for the club in his second league appearance, a 1–0 away win overDagenham & Redbridge in April 2013, which ended a five-match winless run.[11] He remained in goal for the rest of the league season, keeping three consecutive clean sheets with 3–0 wins against bothRochdale andAccrington Stanley.[12] In total, Crocombe made six appearances for club and country in his debut professional season, conceding just one goal. In June 2013, he signed a long-term contract with the club.[13] By the2013–14 season he had established himself as deputy to Oxford's long-standing number 1,Ryan Clarke.
Crocombe appeared twice in the2014–15 season, both times in theFootball League Cup. In his second appearance he held Premier League sideWest Bromwich Albion to one goal in 120 minutes and saved their first two spot kicks in the penalty shoot-out.[14] At the end of the season, which included a productive loan spell atNuneaton Town, the club triggered a 2-year option in his contract to extend his stay until the end of 2017.[15]
In February 2015, Crocombe signed on loan atConference Premier sideNuneaton Town until the end of the season.[16] After impressing with a clean sheet on his debut, he was named in theNon-League Paper's Team of the Day.[17][18] He did not concede a goal in any of his first 6 games and was named man of the match twice in his short spell for the club.
Crocombe was loaned toBarnet on 18 September 2015, with the Bees without a senior keeper due to an injury and a suspension.[19]
In October 2015 Crocombe was recalled from Barnet and sent on a three-month loan toSouthport of theNational League.[20] After a series of impressive performances in his first 3 months for the club he was named Southport's Player of the Month for both November 2015 and January 2016.
Crocombe left Oxford by mutual consent and signed a one-year deal withCarlisle United on 4 August 2016.[21]
In May 2017 he joinedSalford City.[22] In October 2017 Crocombe was sent off during a match againstBradford Park Avenue for urinating at the side of a stand[23] A spectator made a formal complaint and the incident was later reported to the police. Crocombe subsequently posted an apology onTwitter and explained "I was in a very uncomfortable position and made an error of judgement that spoiled a great win".[24]
In July 2019, Crocombe joined AustralianA-League sideBrisbane Roar to challengeJamie Young for the starting goalkeeper position.[25] In October 2020, Crocombe left Brisbane Roar.[26]
After leaving Brisbane Roar, Crocombe joinedMelbourne Victory in October 2020.[27] Crocombe began the season as the Victory's starting goalkeeper, playing in the first 10 matches of the season, before being replaced as the starting goalkeeper byMatt Acton. He was released on 11 June 2021.[28]
On 30 July 2021, Crocombe returned toEngland, penning a one-year deal withGrimsby Town.[29]
Initially being signed as a back-up keeper, Crocombe became Grimsby's first choice keeper in December at the expense of club veteranJames McKeown.[30]
On 23 May 2022, with Grimsby trailing 1–0 toNotts County in theNational League play-off eliminator, in the final minute of added on time Crocombe came up for a free kick and with the ball falling to him it bounced off his knees as he prepared to shoot before dropping toGavan Holohan who scored the equaliser, with Crocombe claiming the assist. Grimsby went on to win the game 2–1 in extra time.[31] Crocombe played in the2022 National League play-off final as Grimsby beatSolihull Moors 2–1 at theLondon Stadium to return to theFootball League.[32]
Crocombe was ever-present in goal for Grimsby's2022–23 League Two season and cup campaigns, playing a total of 5,340 minutes, the fourth highest in world football that season.[33] He was part of the Grimsby team that reached the quarter-finals of the2022–23 FA Cup by beatingLeague One clubsPlymouth Argyle,Cambridge United andBurton Albion in rounds one to three,Championship clubLuton Town in a fourth round replay, andPremier League sideSouthampton in the fifth round.[34] In doing so they became the first team to beat five teams from higher divisions in the history of the FA Cup.[35] At the end of the 2022–23 season, Crocombe turned down a new contract and confirmed he would be leaving Grimsby.[36]
On 30 June 2023, Crocombe signed for League One clubBurton Albion on a two-year deal.[37] Following the conclusion of the2023–24 season, he was named Men's Player of the Season.[38]
On 13 May 2025, the club said it had offered the player a new contract.[39] However, Crocombe opted to depart the club at the end of his contract.[40] He made 92 appearances during his two year spell with Burton.[40]
On 24 June 2025, Crocombe signed forChampionship clubMillwall on a free transfer.[40] He made his Championship debut in an away win atQueens Park Rangers.[41]
On 22 January 2013, Crocombe was called up to the provisionalNew Zealand under-20s squad for the2013 OFC U-20 Championship in Fiji, the regional qualifying tournament for the2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup.[42] He was confirmed in the final squad of 20 on 20 February 2013 and made his debut in the 1–0 win over Vanuatu.[43][44] Crocombe kept clean sheets in both his appearances and was voted the best goalkeeper of the tournament, earning him theGolden Glove Award.[45]
He was confirmed in the New Zealand under-20 squad for the2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey[46] and was described as a key player for the team.[47] Crocombe played in two of New Zealand's games as the team exited the competition at the group stage.
In June 2015, Crocombe was included in theNew Zealand under-23s squad for thePacific Games, which was used as a qualifying tournament for the2016 Summer Olympics.[48] Crocombe kept 4 clean sheets in 4 games before New Zealand were disqualified from the tournament for fielding an ineligible player.[49]
In March 2015, Crocombe was called up to the fullNew Zealand national team squad for a friendly againstSouth Korea.[50] A year later, he was included in the senior squad for the2016 OFC Nations Cup.[51] He made his full international debut for the All Whites in a friendly againstCanada in March 2018.[52]
In 2019 Max was targeted as a top prospect for theCook Islands, after returning to Oceania withBrisbane Roar.[53]
On 6 June 2023, after a spell away from the team, Crocombe was called up to the New Zealand squad for friendlies againstSweden andQatar.[54] Crocombe started the game against Qatar which was abandoned at half time when the New Zealand players refused to play the second half afterMichael Boxall was alleged to have been racially abused by one of the Qatari players, New Zealand had been leading 1–0.[55]
Crocombe won the Golden Glove award at the2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup having conceding no goals in the tournament.[56] He started in goal for the majority of New Zealand's successful qualification campaign for the2026 FIFA World Cup.[57]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Buckingham Town | 2009–10[58] | UCL Division One | 33 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 33 | 1 | |
| Oxford United | 2011–12[59] | League Two | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012–13[60] | League Two | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2013–14[61] | League Two | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014–15[62] | League Two | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2015–16[63] | League Two | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| Banbury United (loan) | 2011–12[64] | SFL Premier Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1[a] | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Nuneaton Town (loan) | 2014–15[58] | Conference Premier | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| Barnet (loan) | 2015–16[63] | League Two | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Southport (loan) | 2015–16[64] | National League | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 3[b] | 0 | 29 | 0 | |
| Carlisle United | 2016–17[65] | League Two | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4[c] | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Salford City | 2017–18[64] | National League North | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 | |
| 2018–19[64] | National League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4[b] | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Total | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 35 | 0 | ||
| Brisbane Roar | 2019–20[64] | A-League | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
| Melbourne Victory | 2020–21[64] | A-League | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| Grimsby Town | 2021–22[64] | National League | 29 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 | |
| 2022–23[66] | League Two | 46 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 59 | 0 | |
| Total | 75 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 89 | 0 | ||
| Burton Albion | 2023–24[67] | League One | 43 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | 47 | 0 |
| 2024–25[68] | League One | 43 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 0 | |
| Total | 86 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 92 | 0 | ||
| Millwall | 2025–26[69] | Championship | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Career total | 289 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 329 | 1 | ||
Salford City
Grimsby Town
New Zealand Under-20
New Zealand
Individual
New Zealand squads | |||||||
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