Ebbsfleet United's Mark Cousins says risk and reward of playing out from the back has made him a better goalkeeper

Mark Cousins admits he could have had a much easier season by not joining title favourites Ebbsfleet.

On the face of it, the Fleet keeper has one of the best jobs in football between the sticks for a side that have led the way at the top of National League South for most of the season.

But, in reality, the 36-year-old has changed his game under boss Dennis Kutrieb at a time when others may be looking to wind down their careers - and he’s loving every minute.

“I could have gone to another team and it would have been a lot easier just to kick the ball long and get on with the game, and make some saves,” said Cousins.

“At Ebbsfleet I feel challenged and that’s what you want. I don’t want to just see out my career, I want to challenge myself, I want to get better still and coming here has helped me do that.

“We’re judged on clean sheets and goals conceded and we’re just around our target at the moment. But we can always get better defensively. If we do keep clean sheets then 99% of the time we’ll win a game.”

Cousins, whose career has included spells at Colchester, Dagenham and Bromley, has only played a similar style for part of his time at Barnet.

He joined the Fleet from Bromley in the summer and knew exactly what he was letting himself in for.

“It saves my groin and hips from kicking it 40 times a game, which I did at Bromley!” he quipped.

“Every team has a style and that’s the style I was used to at Bromley and previous clubs. To come here and play this style is really rewarding when it comes off, it’s so good on the eye and we’ve scored so many good goals which have started right at the back.

“I had it for a short spell at Barnet under Darren Currie when we played a similar way, but the build-up from the back wasn’t as