Rangers goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin still good enough for national side
Scotland fans might have been shocked to see Rangers keeper Jon McLaughlin called up to Steve Clarke’s squad for the coming World Cup qualifiers.
Clarke’s men will take on Austria, Israel and the Faroe Islands before the end of March to kick-start the road to Qatar 2022.
McLaughlin has been named in the squad despite not playing for Rangers since the turn of the year. The goalkeeper joined the Gers from Sunderland in the summer, signing a two-year deal.
He’s been named on the bench by Steven Gerrard for each of the last 14 matches but hasn’t played a single minute. Allan McGregor has been in exceptional form, so McLaughlin hasn’t had a look in.
It’s hard to forget, though, that despite not featuring in 2021, McLaughlin is still a top ‘keeper.
The stats don’t lie
When called upon by his club, McLaughlin is yet to let them down. He’s been involved in some excellent performances this season for the Scottish champions.
In nine league appearances between September and November, the Scot conceded just two goals away to Hibs [WyScout]. He had five attempts against him on the day and saved three of them, which was enough to keep the undefeated record intact.
Aside from that game, he’s kept eight clean sheets as Rangers pulled away early at the top of the division. He hasn’t featured for the side since November 10, a Europa League clash with Lech Poznan.
Overall, he’s kept 10 clean sheets in 11 matches across all competitions. In that time, McLaughlin has faced 20 shots on goal and saved 18 of them. He’s adapted to Gerrard’s way of playing out from the back also, completing 98.6% of his passes.
When called upon, he’s hardly put a foot wrong. This could be a reason why Clarke’s called him up. He’s also coming from a happy squad of players at his club and can bring the positive attitude along with him.
The keeper has had a good career despite not playing much as of late. He’s a one time PFA Player of the Year member for League One with Burton Albion. McLaughlin also got to the 2012/13 League Cup final with Bradford, losing to Swansea.
We don’t expect him to feature for Scotland, but it’s a good chance for him to prove his worth again. He could feature more next season if McGregor is to wind down.
In other Rangers news, QPR and Bristol City are interested in this Gers youngster.