Ashford United boss Lloyd Hume wants to help former Swindon Town target Bruno Tavares get back to his best after bringing the forward to Homelands

Ashford manager Lloyd Hume has challenged new signing Bruno Tavares to rediscover the form that saw him linked with a Football League move.

Tavares, 25, was close to joining League 2 Swindon a few years ago but hasn’t been quite the same player since.

Hume likes what he’s seen from the forward, who was at Dover last season, and wants to help him get back to his best.

Tavares, who was born in Portugal, counts Hungerford, Concord and Sittingbourne among his former clubs.

He scored his first Ashford goal in a 2-1 friendly win over Whitstable on Tuesday night, adding to Jacob Strouts’ equaliser.

“Bruno’s someone I know a little bit, not personally, but as a player,” said Hume.

“I expected him to kick on last year and he didn’t quite do that but when you look at Dover’s frontline, and the goals they scored, you can see why they got promoted.

“I see Bruno a little bit like Louis Collins when he came to us last year. I think he needs an arm round his shoulder, and encouragement, and I think there’s some good things potentially to come from him.

“But he needs to step up himself. He nearly got a move to the Football League a few years ago and since then he hasn’t reached those same heights, and that can be down to sometimes disappointment from the player.

“But ultimately your football career is so short, you can’t sit and think ‘well, what if?’ forever, you’ve got to crack on because he’s got loads of ability.

“As a No.9 or a wideman he’s got loads of ability, loads of pace and that’s all you really want, you can work with the rest.

“I’ve met him three times and he’s a really nice lad.

“I really like him. We’ve had conversations about what he wants to do and he seems very determined.”

Strouts also scored on Saturday as Ashford