He was sold to West Ham United for an undisclosed fee in January 2012 and was an unused substitute in the club's play-off final, though did not feature in a Premier League match.

Born in Winsford, Cheshire, Maynard spent a year as a schoolboy with Arsenal,[3] before he joined Crewe Alexandra's academy at the age of seven.

[6] He made his Crewe debut in the last game of the 2005–06 Championship season, coming on as a substitute for Michael Higdon in a 4–2 win over Millwall at the Alexandra Stadium on 30 April 2006.

He scored with his first touch in professional football, in front of scouts representing 20 different clubs,[7] after Michael O'Connor's shot hit the post.

Maynard performed well in his second year of professional football, forming a productive goal-scoring partnership with Luke Varney, with the pair claiming a total of 33 League One goals between them.

[9] In an interview with FourFourTwo magazine, Maynard admitted that he had "broke down a few times" during his four months of rehabilitation,[10] although he would later recover and return to fitness.

But in February and March, the young striker showed his potential by scoring in seven consecutive games, including a first senior level hat-trick, against relegation rivals Cheltenham Town.

[13] The bid was rejected as Crewe manager Steve Holland stated that it was half what the "Railwaymen" believed his current valuation to be.

He helped his side to three consecutive 1–0 victories, against Crystal Palace, Queens Park Rangers and away at Brentford in the League Cup.

"[21] However, Maynard bettered this goal on Boxing day against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road; facing away from goal just outside the box, he collected a bouncing ball in the air, controlled it with one touch, turned two defenders with a second touch, and then smashed a volley into the top corner past an unmoved Radek Černý, all without the ball hitting the ground.

[25] He had previously been tipped to represent England by Crewe manager Dario Gradi, who felt it unlikely that he would be selected "from a club like Bristol City".

[29] He stated in an interview with BBC Radio Bristol that fans had thrown bottles at his family, which made him even more reluctant to sign a new deal.

[30] On 31 January 2012, Maynard signed for Championship club West Ham United for an undisclosed fee on a 2+1⁄2-year deal with an option for an extra year.

[31] Maynard made his West Ham debut on 14 February in a 1–1 draw with Southampton at the Boleyn Ground, coming on as a 65th-minute substitute for Carlton Cole.

[35] He was an unused substitute in the play-off final as West Ham secured promotion to the Premier League with a 2–1 victory over Blackpool.

[36] His final game for West Ham came in the League Cup on 28 August 2012, when he scored the first goal in a 2–0 win over former club Crewe Alexandra.

[46] Manager Uwe Rösler enthused that "he was excellent, not only his goals, but his all-round play... he looks sharp, motivated and knowledgeable about the game".

[50] He was limited to one goal from 12 games during the 2014–15 season and was released by manager Russell Slade upon the expiry of his contract, having been sidelined from November to April with a back injury.

[51][52] On 22 September 2015, Maynard signed for newly-promoted Championship side Milton Keynes Dons on a one-year deal.

[68] He scored a hat-trick in a 6–1 win over Oldham Athletic at Field Mill on 12 October, leading to manager John Dempster to comment that the best was yet to come for the "Stags" from the veteran striker.

[70] He finally signed a new one-year contract with the club on 28 August, though manager Graham Coughlan admitted he was short of match fitness after missing pre-season.