BRIGHT FUTURE

Jon Mclaughlin will continue his farewell tour at Pittodrie tonight but will do so in the belief he is leaving Hearts in good hands.

The goalkeeper stopped short of confirming these were the last few games of his short but successful Hearts career. However, manager Craig Levein is already looking at his replacement in the expectation the 30-year-old will pursue more lucrative offers down south.

Mclaughlin did not deny he was weighing up his options but feels confident both he and Hearts can go on to greater things whatever happens. Tonight’s trip to play Aberdeen is potentially his fourth-last appearance for Hearts since signing a one-year deal in the summer. He had ripped a tendon in his arm at the worst possible time – only weeks before the end of last season and just as he was coming out of contract at Burton Albion.

“It puts a huge question mark over you – a goalkeeper with a serious arm injury, it could completely derail you,” he reflected.

He will be eternally grateful to Hearts for handing him the short-term contract he wanted and then providing a platform

“Hopefullyiamin thatprimepartofa goalkeeper’scareer, whenyoustillhavea goodnumberofyears aheadofyou,butalso have the experience under your belt”

JON MCLAUGHLIN the timing of it. But again, I have had a really good season here. Things are going well. It is an exciting time and an important time. That is why we have been honest about our opinions and what we are looking at doing, possibly going elsewhere and leaving while acknowledging this has been a huge part of why things are going well.

“We have been talking with a lot of people,” he added. “Obviously there is good interest, which is nice after