Jon McLaughlin looks set for a move to Burton Albion's League One rivals Sunderland, according to reports.

The former Brewers goalkeeper, a free agent after the expiry of his one-year deal with Hearts, was linked with a move to Azerbaijani side Qarabag last week.

But the Scottish Sun are reporting that McLaughlin is now close to sealing a move to the Black Cats, who were relegated alongside Albion last season.

The 30-year-old - who made his first international appearance for Scotland earlier this month in a friendly against Mexico - is said to be a big part of new Sunderland boss Jack Ross' plans at the Stadium of Light.

Jon McLaughlin

McLaughlin has previous League One experience with Bradford City and the Brewers, having made the third-tier team of the season in the 2015-16 campaign after helping Burton to automatic promotion into the Championship.

And he is keen to keep himself in the thoughts of Scotland manager Alex McLeish with his next move.

"There is a fear that, if you go to a league that doesn't get covered, you tend to get forgotten about," he told the Scottish Sun.

"But once my future is sorted I’ll hopefully be playing at a level that is acceptable for the manager and his staff.

"And it will be up to the manager to decide if he wants me to stay involved. I would obviously love to.

"The positive thing is the manager has already given me a cap and seen that I can perform at that level."