Boro’s academy had another fresh talent to share with the first team in April 2022; stopper Elyh Harrison making the step up. The young goalkeeper was just 16-years-old at the time and had clearly caught the eye of boss Steve Evans. The word was that Harrison would be part of the squad to face Tranmere Rovers on 23 April that year. In the end, the senior duo of Christy Pym and Laurie Walker were available for the assignment. It wasn’t to be that day. But there was the very real feeling that it wouldn’t be long before Harrison would be getting his chance.

Elyh Harrison: After Boro’

That chance did come, as it goes. It just didn’t come as we’d imagine in. The summer 2022 transfer window was quite notable for the amount of incomings. But Harrison would arguably be the biggest of our outgoings; even more so than the departure of skipper Scott Cuthbert or someone like that. Such was his high stock that he’d be snapped by a little known northern club called Manchester United. It was another success for our Academy – despite us not ever getting any first team action out of the lad.

On the deal that took him to Old Trafford, chairman Phil Wallace said: “Our very best wishes go to Elyh, and we will follow his career with interest. This is the fourth young player in four years that has been signed from Stevenage’s Academy to a Premier League club. We have negotiated all of these transfers outside of the Elite Player Performance Plan system and therefore delivers significant funding to the Club, alongside a continued financial interest in their success, justifying our huge investment in the Academy.”