AFC Telford United seal high-profile signing of hometown boy Kyle Bennett

Former Doncaster and Portsmouth promotion hero Bennett, 30, pens a contract at his hometown club after leaving League One side Bristol Rovers at the end of last season.

Lawley-based Bennett joins Gavin Cowan's Bucks ranks on the eve of the new National League North season and is available to make his debut in the curtain-raiser at Darlington on Saturday.

Ex-Wolves youngster Kyle – whose elder brother Elliott this summer joined neighbours Shrewsbury Town from Blackburn Rovers – made almost 350 appearances in league football, where he earned a reputation as a pacy, dangerous winger.

Bennett, whose dad Paul played for Bridgnorth Town, has won three promotions as a professional with Bury, Doncaster and Portsmouth.

He spent last season on loan at Grimsby Town in League Two and was on trial at National League Notts County over the summer, where he featured in the friendly victory over Telford at the New Bucks Head.

Bennett said: "Things didn't quite match up at Notts County and I'd moved back to training, I'd asked the manager if I could come to training to keep fit and ticking over.

"He said 'yes, of course come down'. We had a few conversations, I ended up seeing him at the town park with the kids and we chatted more.

"He (Cowan) seems like a really nice man, his ambitions for the club is really good, how he's taken it to now, it's in a good place. I really like him as a man."

Bennett joins fellow big summer recruits including Elliott Durrell and Nathan Pond through the door at Telford.