Darlington may have lost one of their key players last week, but manager Martin Gray sees Joe Tait's move to Gateshead as a success for all concerned.

The 23-year-old passed a medical on Friday before signing a one-year contract with the Conference outfit and doing so completed his long-held aim to break into professional footballer.

Tait had a trial with Hartlepool United last summer and before joining Quakers the Middlesbrough-born defender, who was in the youth set-up at Pools as a teenager, was with Philadelphia Union.

When convincing Tait to join last year, Gray told him he could earn a move into the professional game and the manager now feels vindicated.

Gray said: "It's a success for Joe because he's got himself back in the pro game, it's a success for Gateshead and it's a success for us because we've won the league while helping him get there.

"It's really rewarding to see players develop. Myself and my staff worked really hard with Joe and helped get him back in the game.

"He'd been offered a lot more money to go elsewhere in the Northern League, but he knew that if he was going to get into full-time football then Darlington was the place to do it.

"When we first got him into the club I said 'come with us, we'll improve you and if things go well you'll give yourself a chance of getting back into the game'. It's turned out exactly as we hoped.

"He had a couple of clubs chasing him, but Gateshead as worked well for him as it's local.

"It proves to players that if you come to us, let us work with you, let us improve you and if you do well then you're going to get a chance to move up.

"I feel we're going to get the best out of those people, young players. Look at Gary Brown's improvement over the season."

Gray revealed that with 18 games of the season to go, Tait turned down an offer to play abroad.

"He had the chance to go to Australia," said the manager. "It was a really big deal he was offered to go out there, but he stayed with us.

"We talked about it and he ended up showing us some loyalty by staying until the end of the season, but I could never stand in his way this time.

"The kid is unemployed, but he's now a full-time footballer on good money, far better than what we can offer at our level.

"I want to see the kid progress and kick on his career from now on. He's been fantastic for me, fantastic for the club and hopefully he's on his way to a career in the game now."

Gray has already signed Tait's replacement as he brought in Jordan Robinson and Chris Hunter recently.

"It's a shame that Joe's going, but that's the industry we're in," added Gray.

"I've been working hard on bringing defenders in over the past few weeks because I knew what was going to happen.

"What we've brought in with Jordan Robinson and Chris Hunter is really strong players who, like Joe, could play a lot higher.

"I've lost a good player, but we've brought in some very good ones."

Meanwhile, a trip to Whitley Bay on July 30 is the latest game to be added to Darlington's pre-season schedule, which begins on July 13 at Whitby Town.

However, Darlington will not play in Cleator Cup, the traditional Northern League curtain-raiser played between the league and cup winners.

Quakers say they could not agree a date with Spennymoor, so Whitley Bay have taken their place.

Quakers' Evo-Stik First Division North season begins on Saturday, August 17.