Tavares taking bench stint on the chin as he chases top six
Jair Tavares may have lost his place in the Hibs starting line-up following an influx of January signings but the Portuguese winger insists the situation is completely different now to the one he endured previously.
The 23-year-old was a total outcast under former manager Lee Johnson – an exile which left him “mentally devastated” – before metamorphosing into a first-team regular under current boss Nick Montgomery. A run of 14 consecutive starts in the Scottish Premiership only ended at the start of February when Tavares was replaced at halftime as Hibs found themselves 3-0 down at home to St Mirren after just 45 minutes.
Since then the Benfica academy product has been limited to substitute appearances, with his starting place taken by Myziane Maolida, who arrived on loan from Hertha Berlin in the transfer window, and who has caught the eye, scoring five goals in just eight starts for the Easter Road side. But unlike before, Tavares remains part of the first-team picture.
A solid 34-minute run-out off the bench in the 3-0 win over Livingston on Saturday was followed by an impressive display in Wednesday's 5-1 win over Raith Rovers in Lewis Vaughan's testimonial. Tavares was given the full match and played like a man pitching to face Rangers after the international break, with an energetic performance capped off by a headed goal showing that he is up for the challenge of winning his place back.
“It felt good to play, a good feeling to win, and those games are good for the young lads especially," he said. "Getting to play alongside Lewis Stevenson and Paul Hanlon, with over a thousand games between them, that’s really good for the young players, who get experience and some minutes with us. And it was good for guys in the first team who haven’t been getting minutes to play; that was important for us.
“Me? I mean, in the Livingston game, I got a decent amount of playing time, came on very early in the second half. But whether it’s five minutes or 30 minutes, the whole game, I’m here to help the team. That is always my attitude.
“There are new players, of course. They are here to help the team, that’s it. And I see them as competition inside the club because some of them are playing in my position. But I thinkit’sahealthycompetition. It’s good for us. They’re here to help the team, just like me.
“[My situation] is different now. That story is under the carpet now. Like I’ve said before, the gaffer told me in the beginning that what is in the past is in the past. Now we just have to focus on getting the top six and finish this season well.”
Tavares hopes to play his part as Hibs look to secure a topsix finish and qualification for Europe in the coming weeks, but there is another important matter to prepare for as he looks forward to becoming a father for the first time.
“Yeah, we’re almost there, almost there," he said. “The baby is coming in two more months. Of course I’m really excited because it’s a new journey in my life. I probably won’t sleep much. But at least it will be the off season!”