JON McLaughlin came into the media suite at Tynecastle on Saturday after the game clutching a thoroughly deserved bottle of man-of-the-match champagne.
In the next few months, the Hearts goalkeeper hopes to be toasting a call-up to the Scotland squad.
And considering how he almost single-handedly earned his side three points against St Johnstone, and national goalkeeper Craig Gordon’s recent injury, it would perhaps be more of a surprise if the 30-year-old isn’t raising a glass to international recognition.
David Wotherspoon, Chris Kane, a couple of times, Scott Tanser, Blair Alston and Richard Foster all had reason to curse McLaughlin’s proficiency in keeping the ball out of the back of the net.
Kane praised him for “some great saves”, and while St Johnstone’s poor run of league results continues they will take heart from a performance that deserved so much more and the fact they will not have to face someone in McLaughlin’s form every week.
Whether the Edinburgh-born former Bradford City and Burton Albion keeper is taking the fizz out of opposition attacks at Hearts after the summer seems far less sure.
Signed at the end of August on a one-year deal after a career solely spent in English football, Hearts manager Craig Levein said that for next campaign the goalkeeper “had other offers from down south far greater than what we can afford to pay”.
The Hearts custodian, however, insisted he had ruled nothing out, and stressed he was not only happy at Tynecastle – “it’s my hometown club, a brillaint club to play for” – but happy to be wanted.
“It’s more speculation and potential than offers on the table,” said McLaughlin of interest elsewhere. “There’s nothing concrete out there that that is what I’m doing or where I’m going.”
But the goalkeeper revealed what he had been offered at Hearts was an extension rather than an enhancement on terms.
“With the contract here that I’m on at the moment, they are looking to do more of an extension than to offer an improved new deal, so at the moment there’s maybe not quite enough for me to jump on extending a deal,” McLaughlin said. “If there were other things involved, then maybe.”
McLaughlin, whose side achieved their weekend win thanks to David Milinkovic’s goal just after half-time in a match that also saw, to the fury of St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright, Wotherspoon sent off for the visitors, added it was not all about cold, hard cash.
“You start thinking about how many contracts you’ve got left, what people can offer in terms of longevity, in terms of financially, what it means to your family, it’s not just about money,” he said.
McLaughlin admitted being chosen for the Scotland squad would be “incredible” and “the pinnacle” of his career, acknowledging being “in the epicentre of things” at Hearts was “aiding the possibility”.
Asked whether he fancied being on the maligned trip to Peru and Mexico in May and June, McLaughlin laughed: “If anyone doesn’t fancy it, I’ll be more than happy! There’s no holidays booked and I’ve had all my jabs so . . .”
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