MY STOCK’S JON THE UP
JON McLAUGHLIN has gone from a position of assuredness in the Azteca to a period of uncertainty over the future of his career.
Scotland arrived back from their trip to Peru and Mexico yesterday and McLaughlin had no time to revel in the glow of his debut performance against the central Americans.
He is out of contract after rejecting terms at Hearts and hopes his performance at high altitude has opened the eyes of potential suitors.
The former Burton Albion keeper, who moved to Tynecastle last summer, still hasn’t ruled out a future with the Jambos but that seems unlikely after Craig Levein swooped last week for Czech Zdenek Zlamal from Fastav Zlin.
McLaughlin said: “I’ll have a couple of days in Edinburgh before I go away on a family holiday.
“I hope to relax and get a bit of sun because we didn’t get much of that in Peru.
“My future is still uncertain and I still have to figure out where I am going to be playing next season. There are still question marks.
“I have spoken with my agent a few times but he likes to leave me to it when I have the serious business to get on with.
“I trust him and hopefully my display against Mexico will be a good advert and further my reputation. Hopefully good things will come.
“I haven’t spoken to anyone at the club since the Kilmarnock game. I haven’t had any contact with Craig Levein. I know he has signed a goalkeeper in the last couple of days so we will have to wait and see.”
McLaughlin was helpless to prevent LA Galaxy playmaker Giovani dos Santos scoring the only goal of the game in the Azteca but he still stood tall with a string of fine stops against the side ranked 15th in the world.
At the age of 30 he could have been forgiven for thinking such career highlights had passed him by but the match in Mexico City gave him one of the greatest moments in his life.
He said: “It was a proud moment for me and my family to represent my country and to win my first full cap. To do it in the Azteca Stadium in that surrounding and setting just made it even more special.”