BOSS Lee Bradbury has given striker Lyle Taylor a glowing report following a fruitful pre-season showing.

Taylor, who has featured in the majority of Cherries’ friendlies, tops the goal charts with six.

Signed a year ago from Ryman League Concord Rangers, he made three starts and nine substitute appearances under previous boss Eddie Howe last season.

However, the 21-year-old was restricted to one brief appearance off the bench under Bradbury and had loan spells with Woking and Lewes.

Bradbury told the Daily Echo: “Lyle has done brilliantly during pre-season. He has been a goal threat all the time and has scored six. He has worked hard during the close season and has improved. He is hungry and has showed me he thinks he is ready to come into the first-team fold. He has certainly done himself no harm.

“He came here from four or five leagues below and it is a big jump for these boys. It is unfair of anybody to expect him to come straight into the first team and be a regular.

“He needed to go somewhere in the middle ground to learn his trade. I think Lyle would have learned a lot from his loan spells and he has come back a better player.”