Paul Hayes believes his good friend Garry Thompson will feel loved at Adams Park – a feeling that the striker was missing at previous club Notts County.

Despite topping the Magpies’ scoring charts with 12 goals as they were relegated last season, the Nottinghamshire outfit failed to offer the 34-year-old a new deal, despite promises to the contrary, allowing Gareth Ainsworth to snap him up on a two-year deal.

Thompson revealed earlier this month that he’d spoken to Hayes before signing on at Adams Park, having never lived further south than Leeds, and the Wycombe captain was keen to get his fellow forward on board. “He spoke to me about the interest from Wycombe and I told him the honest truth about the club,” said Hayes.

“It’s a great club to play your football at and you’ve got lovely people to look after you off the field. It’s a club that is eventually going to go places. It’s a club that’s going to help him enjoy his football and that’s what Thommo needed.

“I think it’s a place that’s going to fill him with love and he didn’t get that at Notts County. When he came down with his wife I said ‘it’s going to be a good thing for you to come here’.

“It’s hard for anyone to move from the north downwards, but he’s going to move down with his wife and his dog and it’s going to be good for him.”

The pair played alongside one another for two seasons at Scunthorpe between 2008 and 2010, although Thompson was deployed as a winger by Nigel Adkins, who paired Hayes with Gary Hooper up front.

On occasions when Hooper was injured, the former Morecambe man was pushed up front and Hayes saw enough from Thompson to suggest that he will be a hit for the Chairboys.

“It was great when the gaffer signed Thommo, not only because he’s a great lad off the field but on the field he’s exactly what we are,” said the 31-year-old.

“He’s a hard worker, he never gives up and he showed that in a relegated team, like last season, that he’ll score goals. He’s got pace, he’s got strength, he can score goals and he’s a willing runner, so he’s got all the attributes we need at Wycombe Wanderers.

“I was pleased when we signed him because we’re good friends, but also because he adds to our attacking play.”