Stevenage now have competition for places across the entire squad and not just cover - after a hugely successful January transfer window.

The Boro boss brought six new faces to the Lamex during the month and while goalkeeper Jokull Andresson was unexpected, he and the others have helped swell the ranks to 24.

And that meant the plan went as per hoped for.

Evans said: "Our brief when I met the chairman around Christmas time with Leon Hunter was that we were never going to sign superstars and spend money. That's not our model.

"Our model was to come through the transfer window with a stronger group so if you do get injuries or suspensions, and that happens, then the ones who come in maintain our strength and unity.

"We've done that with the signings we've made and we're delighted with them all.  

There could have been more but there were no regrets about that from the boss.

And with 20 games to go in League Two, and Boro sitting pretty in second, the new faces have arrived at the perfect time.

Evans said: "We enquired about one or two others who were potentially on the move but in the end didn't.

"But we've always worked with a first-team squad of 21 or 22. That's about what we've come through the window with and we're really pleased.

"It's about good competition for places in the team and that's what we sought last July, that's what we sought in January and that's what we've got."

Evans also gave an insight as to the thinking about the signings even if, as he admitted, there was the potential to just utilise the current squad.

"We saw it at Stoke how much flexibility we've even got within the group, without any new signings," he said.

"Max Clark got a cut on his ankle at Stoke so we took him off, put Luther across and brought Kane Smith on and there is an argument to say we were strong if not stronger.

"Now we've brought in Josh Reid that plays in that position and we've got big JT [Jonathan Tomkinson] who can play in the full-back positions as well so we've got really good cover and we had to have that.  

"And is it cover or is it competition? We think it is competition but we will tell the boys today it's game on for the starting shirt every time we play now and earn the shirt.

"We knew we were only one or two light, it wasn't three or four, and the whole strategy for us was to make sure that [we were covered] with the run of games we've got in February.

"When we were at our best, we made three or four changes from Saturday to Tuesday just to keep that freshness in different positions.

"And that's what we'll be looking to do as we go forward."