Jon the up after darkness at the Stadium of Light

A YEAR ago this weekend Jon McLaughlin was picking the ball out of the net three times as Sunderland slumped to defeat at Peterborough.

Reduced to nine men at London Road that day, it was the Black Cats’ heaviest loss under Jack Ross as they dropped to sixth in League One.

Their next game was away to Accrington Stanley, a club who have been the butt of a joke since the famous milk advert, but it’s McLaughlin who maybe can’t stop smiling now.

Fast forward 12 months from that 3-0 loss at Posh and the trip to Accrington’s Crown Ground that followed and his current situation is a world away from life in England’s third tier.

The 32-year-old’s decision to turn down a new deal at the Stadium of Light has certainly paid off as he finds himself in a battle for the Rangers No.1 jersey with Allan McGregor and, due to circumstances, first pick for Scotland.

Steve Clarke will name his squad this week for next month’s Nations League clashes at home to Israel and away to the Czech Republic.

The advantage McLaughlin has over his glove rivals right now is the fact that he’s playing with the rest either at clubs who haven’t yet started their season or warming the bench in the case of Scott Bain.

David Marshall has been Clarke’s first choice and has just joined Derby but the English Championship doesn’t kick off until September 12 with Craig Gordon’s Hearts not in action until a month later.

Few could’ve predicted McLaughlin would find himself in this position when he signed at Ibrox.

But an injury to McGregor opened the door for McLaughlin who has kept clean sheets in the last four games to contribute to a post-war defensive club record.

It has led to a debate over whether McLaughlin deserves to keep his spot with Steven Gerrard saying after Saturday’s 2-0 win over Kilmarnock: “I’ve got two No.1s and I’d have no doubts about playing either of them.”

McGregor’s Ibrox return two years ago was seen as a huge signing with his impact off the park just as crucial given he, along with Steven Davis, had previously won major silverware at the club.

But in five months time he will celebrate his 39th birthday and Gerrard will have to look at a long-term replacement. If that is to be McLaughlin then

Advantage McLaughlin has over his Scots glove rivals is that he is playing

there is an argument to make that change now.

However, Gerrard still has to pick his best available team in the short term. While McLaughlin hasn’t conceded, he has also been fairly quiet.

Walter Smith was back at Ibrox on Saturday as part of the Rangers TV team and he had a similar scenario a decade ago when Neil Alexander replaced McGregor following a suspension for his part in the Boozegate episode while on international duty.

Alexander proved an able deputy.

But Smith opted for McGregor. That is the kind of tough decision Gerrard now faces but for McLaughlin it’s not a bad position to be in.

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