Stevenage were very close to landing one deadline day signing admits Steve Evans - but it wasn't who was being rumoured.

Many supporters had felt that Boro's former loanee Saxon Earley could be heading back to the club before his signing was announced by Wycombe Wanderers.

Evans revealed though that the unnamed player they were after was all set to sign, only for the selling club to pull the plug on the deal and keep him with them.

The Stevenage boss said: "It was a real possibility, it kept me awake until just after 10.15pm when the manager of his parent club decided he wasn't going to any of the clubs who wanted him. 

"We knew privately from the player and his representative that he was in his car near our stadium, ready to sign the paperwork to join us.  

"We fortunate we knew that, but we were unfortunate in the sense that his manager [decided he wasn’t leaving]. 

"And in fairness, there was a real professional approach. The manager called me at 10:15 and said ‘go the bed son, he’s staying in’. 

"That's because they never landed their own target."