Albion coach Nathan Jones says Bobby Zamora was brought back to the club because he can add something to the team, not because of past glories.

Zamora is in contention to start at Bolton tomorrow if Tomer Hemed fails to recover from a hamstring injury. The goalscoring legend, re-signed last month 12 years after leaving, has appeared as a second-half substitute for the table-topping Seagulls in each of the last four matches.

Ex-Albion team-mate Jones has backed Zamora, 34, to be on the scoresheet again once he gets more game time after building up his fitness.

Jones told The Argus: “The expectations are similar, because back then we wanted Bobby to score goals. We still want exactly the same things but he has been brought in for a different thing now. He is not going to be the same.

“It would be doing his team-mates back then an injustice to say he carried the team at times but he was a focal point. Now he is playing in a Championship side that is doing well. He has been brought in for lots of reasons, all positive ones, and he has justified them.

“He has done everything we’ve wanted. We’d like him to score but when he gets time that won’t be an issue because of his record. He always scores goals. He’s come in, he’s impacted. It’s not about the return of Zamora, this is a player we know. We like his characteristics.

“The fact he used to play for the club and was fantastically successful will carry certain pressures and expectations but if Bobby had never played for Brighton but we knew the career that he’d had we’d have gone for someone like him anyway.

“He has been brought in for his characteristics. The fact we know him, the fact he has been a fantastic player for the club, just puts a cherry on the cake.”

Albion boss Chris Hughton is hopeful Hemed will be fit to face Bolton. If the Israeli misses out then Zamora or Elvis Manu will take over. Uwe Huenemier and Sam Baldock have both recovered after missing the Wolves match.