Darren Sarll believes the sale of Jack Storer to Birmingham City is a sign that the Stevenage Academy is ready to move to the next level.

The young midfielder moved to St Andrew’s for a five-figure sum plus further performance payments based on success.

And the caretaker manager says that has to be one of the goals the Academy should have.

He said: “We want to make sure we give the football club a chance to produce its own footballers who have great empathy for the club and will do a little bit more than others.

“Young players are great because they run through defences while the majority of times an experienced player will look for the hole and climb through that.

“So if I say to Dale Gorman tackle the telly, he’ll tackle the telly because there’s a strong affection between him and the club which has given him a chance of professional football.

“It’s important that we get some use out of young players, and I realise I’m making them sound materialistic here.

“But whether they are being utilised for the first team’s current performances or whether we use it for the financial security of the club, we’ve got to produce young players to fit one of those two objectives.

“In Jack’s case we’ve met something we’ve never done before and I hope that means the club gets a greater reputation for producing good young players and good young people.

“And then the academy can attract even better players to outshine and improve the likes of Dale [Gorman] and Ryan [Johnson].”

Sarll said first team chances at Stevenage had been limited simply because he was behind the likes of Dale Gorman in his development.

But he thinks the 18-year-old has all the talents to succeed at the Championship club.

He said: “I brought Jack in from Wolves and it became clear early on he was going to be more of a midfield player.

“He’s a good athlete, technically very good, [but] he had to develop a greater professionalism in his life.

“And we gave him those behavioural tools to build a platform and go and showcase his technical qualities.

“He’s a very gifted young man and he’s got a terrific opportunity to do what he wants.

“I hope he can make the right choices and decisions in his private life and professionally to give him the best chance.

“That will be the only reason Jack doesn’t succeed.

“Good luck to the boy, we wish him every success and I hope he looks back on Stevenage and his development fondly.

“I worked very hard with him because he was away from home. It’s tough for lads moving out and living on their own for the first time.”