Jair Tavares
{{short description|Portuguese footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Portuguese name|Vieira|Tavares}}
{{Infobox football biography
|name = Jair Tavares
|image =
|fullname = Jair Veiga Vieira Tavares
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2001|02|13|df=y}}
|birth_place =
|height = 1.77m
|position = Forward
|currentclub = Motherwell
|clubnumber = 90
|youthyears1 = 2010–2022
|youthclubs1 = Benfica
|years1 = 2020–2022
|clubs1 = Benfica B
|caps1 = 37
|goals1 = 4
|years2 = 2022–
|clubs2 = Hibernian
|caps2 = 34
|goals2 = 2
|years3 = 2024–
|clubs3 = → Motherwell (Loan)
|caps3 = 8
|goals3 = 0
|club-update = 20:30, 11 April 2025 (UTC)
|nationalyears1 = 2016–2017
|nationalteam1 = Portugal U16
|nationalcaps1 = 12
|nationalgoals1 = 2
|nationalyears2 = 2017–2018
|nationalteam2 = Portugal U17
|nationalcaps2 = 14
|nationalgoals2 = 1
|nationalyears3 = 2018–2019
|nationalteam3 = Portugal U18
|nationalcaps3 = 7
|nationalgoals3 = 3
|nationalyears4 = 2019
|nationalteam4 = Portugal U19
|nationalcaps4 = 7
|nationalgoals4 = 1
|nationalteam-update = 16:14, 30 September 2020 (UTC)
}}
Jair Veiga Vieira Tavares (born 13 February 2001) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for {{Scottish football updater|Motherwe}} club Motherwell on loan from {{Scottish football updater|Hibernia}} side Hibernian. Tavares has previously played for Benfica and represented Portugal in youth internationals.
Career
Tavares came through the Benfica youth system, and played for their B team during the 2020–21 and 2021–22 seasons.
On 15 June 2022 Tavares joined Scottish club Hibernian for an undisclosed fee{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61815020 |title=Hibs sign Benfica winger Jair Tavares on four-year deal in 'real coup' |website=BBC Sport |date=15 June 2022 |accessdate=15 June 2022}} on a contract until the summer of 2026.{{cite web|url=https://www.hibernianfc.co.uk/article/jair-tavares-joins-hibernian-fc|title=Jair Tavares joins Hibernian FC!|publisher=Hibernian FC|date=15 June 2022|accessdate=15 June 2022}} Tavares made limited appearances under the management of Lee Johnson, but he became a first team regular following the appointment of Nick Montgomery.{{cite news |url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/jair-tavares-reveals-hibs-mental-31513238 |title=Jair Tavares reveals Hibs 'mental devastation' kept him up at night as he makes Nick Montgomery vow |newspaper=Daily Record |date=23 November 2023 |accessdate=26 November 2023 |first=Fraser |last=Wilson}}{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/crgpdwdqe15o |title=Montgomery 'proud' of Tavares' resurgence |website=BBC Sport |first=Brian |last=McLauchlin |date=24 November 2023 |accessdate=26 November 2023}}
On 30 August 2024, Tavares joined Motherwell on loan until the end of the 2024–25 season.{{cite web |url=https://www.motherwellfc.co.uk/2024/08/30/jair-tavares-joins-on-loan/ |title=Jair Tavares joins on loan|publisher=Motherwell FC|date=30 August 2024 |accessdate=5 September 2024}}
Personal life
Born in Portugal, Tavares is of Cape Verdean descent.{{Cite web|url=https://maisfutebol.iol.pt/internacional/jair-tavares/ex-benfica-reage-a-alegado-racismo-o-tempo-passa-e-nada-muda|title=Ex-Benfica reage a alegado racismo: "O tempo passa e nada muda"|website=Maisfutebol}} He hails from a footballing family, with both of his brothers, Cláudio and Miguel, as well as cousin Renato Sanches, all being professional footballers.{{cite web|url=https://www.record.pt/futebol/futebol-nacional/campeonato-de-portugal/aves/detalhe/irmaos-tavares-convocados-para-a-visita-a-luz|title=Irmãos Tavares convocados para a visita à Luz|date=9 January 2020|accessdate=30 September 2020|website=record.pt|language=Portuguese}}
Career statistics
=Club=
{{updated|match played on 5 April 2025}}{{Soccerway|jair-veiga-vieira-tavares/540756|accessdate=11 April 2025}}{{ForaDeJogo|200102130001}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" | ||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National cup{{efn|Includes Scottish Cup}} !colspan="2"|League cup{{efn|Includes Scottish League Cup}} !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division
!Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals | ||||||||
| rowspan="3"|Benfica B
|rowspan="2"|LigaPro |13 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2" |— | 13 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22
|24 | 4 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2" |— | 24 | 4 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!37 | 4 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2" |— | 37 | 4 | ||
| rowspan="3"|Hibernian
|rowspan="2"|Scottish Premiership |8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 9 | 0 |
| 2023–24
|26 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 29 | 2 |
| colspan="2"|Total
!34 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 38 | 2 |
| Motherwell (loan)
|Scottish Premiership |8 |0 |0 |0 |4 |0 | colspan="2" |— |12 |0 | ||||||||
| colspan="3" |Career totals
!79 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 87 | 6 |
;Notes
{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Motherwell F.C. squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tavares, Jair}}
Category:21st-century Portuguese sportsmen
Category:Portuguese men's footballers
Category:Portuguese sportspeople of Cape Verdean descent
Category:Portugal men's youth international footballers
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:Liga Portugal 2 players
Category:S.L. Benfica B players
Category:Hibernian F.C. players
Category:Motherwell F.C. players
Category:Scottish Professional Football League players
Category:Portuguese expatriate men's footballers
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Scotland
Category:Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in Scotland
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