Phil Parkinson has revealed to the Chronicle Live that he is keen to retain the services of Scottish keeper Jon McLaughlin.
After struggling for form at the beginning of the season, the former Hearts man has managed to find his rhythm and has helped the Black Cats to six clean sheets in their last seven matches. Despite pressure from Lee Burge for a starting spot, the 32-year-old has established himself as Parkinson’s number one and has recaptured the levels he found last season.
He is out of contract at the end of the season but, when quizzed about the situation, Parkinson revealed he expects Stewart Donald and Richard Hill to find a conclusion quickly.
“The chairman and Richard Hill, who has been here today [at the Academy of Light], will be working on that,” he said.
Jon is someone we would like to keep. He is performing well but he has to keep his standards high and when the chairman is ready he will deal with that situation.
“His recent record puts him up there as one of the best in this division, he is calm and has a lot of experience, so is calm. At Bradford, We played in a lot of big promotion games with Jon. Cup games etc. He handled the pressure well.”
Parkinson managed the stopper at Valley Parade and he has been a catalyst for improved performances, after some tough outings under previous boss Jack Ross. However, it was Parkinson who dropped McLaughlin for Burge in his first game in charge, prompting the return to form.
Our View
Sunderland are blessed with two very good stoppers, although there have been times when their fans might not have seen that.
Jon McLaughlin is one of the best in League One and there will surely be interest in his services, should Sunderland not tie up a new deal.
It’s believed he might have options north of the border, but if the Black Cats go up, the lure of Championship football will surely be too much for the former Burton Albion man to turn down.
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