Graham Westley is looking towards ex-Boro ace Michael Bostwick for inspiration as he aims to improve the club’s younger players.

The midfielder joined Stevenage in 2008 and went on to make 169 appearances for the club, scoring 19 during his tenure, before securing a move to Peterborough United.

Westley recalled Bostwick looking “very timid, nervous and apprehensive” when he joined the club before flourishing in a red and white shirt.

“We got a little bit of confidence going into him and then he looked like a Championship player and then he became one,” said Westley, who hopes to develop some of his current crop in a similar fashion.

Westley pointed to his experienced players being integral to the process of bringing young players along and highlighted Darius Charles’ return from injury as a further boost to the overall quality of the squad.

“It’s been a difficult week behind us, hopefully the week ahead will be one where we can get a few back on the training ground.

“It’d be great to see Darius back in training, he’s been a real focal point of our attack.”

He added: “He’s the sort of player that the lads really believe in and in a squad as small as ours you want your experienced players and your big players out on the pitch, so it’d be great if we can get him out there this week.

“There is a possibility, so fingers crossed on that.

“And then it is about helping our young players to become better players. We’ve seen it before with the likes of Bostwick.

“I think the lads are closer to the type of level that they need to be at than maybe I realised, and with that little bit of help, that little bit of guidance I’m sure we’ll have them at that level pretty soon.”