At just 23-years-old, Jake Young says he has already learned a valuable life lesson for a professional footballer - never move clubs on transfer deadline day.

The striker only got his move from Bradford City pushed through in the final minutes of the summer window, despite it looking highly unlikely with nine hours to go.

It made for a hectic end to his week.

"It was crazy," he said with a chuckle. "I've never moved on deadline day before and probably wouldn't recommend it to any other pro out there. 

"I was flying down the A1(M) on Friday evening and it was a bit touch and go so I was just delighted to get it over the line. 

"I'd been down previously to have a look at the club and look around [the training ground] and it was somewhere that I wanted to be, so I just did what I could to make it happen. 

"The uncertainty was tough but in my head I wanted to move to League One, I wanted to play at this level. 

"And when I spoke to the manager and saw the place, it was a bit of a no brainer for me. 

"Now I'm here, I can settle down and focus on my football and get my head down." 

Having played with Dan Kemp and Murphy Cooper at Swindon Town last season, as well as Dan Sweeney with Forest Green Rovers, he had plenty of people to ask as he tried to get a feel for his new club prior to signing.

There were other factors though.

"It was a combination of [Alex Revell] talking to me about the club and what I already knew about it," said Young.

"I already knew a few of the lads here and I know that when I've played against Stevenage sides, just how hard they work. Nobody wants to play against this Stevenage side. 

"And I just thought the environment would be good for myself. 

"The manager told me about the demands set on the players and the standards set every day and that was something that resonated with me and made me think I could definitely become a better player coming here.  

"It ticked a lot of boxes." 

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His relationship with Kemp on the pitch caught plenty of attention during their time with the Robins in League Two, and it went beyond a Saturday afternoon too.

Young said: "We lived together so we got to knew each other off the pitch too, which I always think helps.

"And yeah, we both hit the ground running. We probably both had a bit of a point to prove, we were both on loan from clubs in the same league so we wanted to show what we could do at that level. 

"Being good together off the pitch as well as on it just translated to plenty of goals and plenty of assists. 

"Hopefully we can recreate that here." 

He has had two weeks since that crazy end to August to get used to his new environment and team-mates.

And now he can't wait to get going, starting with Barnsley at home, with Boro hoping he can help fix their lack of goals so far this season.

He said: "You want to be in a team that's creating chances, that's the main thing. 

"Strikers have hot and cold spells but the most important thing is you're still getting those chances and as soon as one goes in, the confidence comes. 

"For myself and the rest of the team, we need to keep creating the chances and the goals will come, it’s as simple as that really."