'Incredibly proud': Stephen McLaughlin says he has loved Mansfield Town since day one as he reaches club milestone
Stephen McLaughlin recently played his 250th match in Mansfield Town colours.
The reliable wide man recently took some time to reflect on his Stags chapter so far, having reached a major milestone in amber and blue.
McLaughlin, known affectionately as Macca by teammates, staff and fans, signed for Mansfield Town in 2020 from Southend United, having previously played for the likes of Nottingham Forest and Derry City. Now, he is one of the longest serving players at the club.
His appearance against Peterborough United back in August marked his 250th for Stags, and that number just keeps climbing as he remains a key part of Nigel Clough’s team.
“To reach that kind of number at one club… I’m incredibly proud of it. The manager has stuck with me all these years and hopefully I’m repaying him for that,” McLaughlin said in a recent press conference.
With six years now passed since he first arrived, McLaughlin has plenty of fond memories at Mansfield Town and his love for the club remains deep-rooted.
The 36-year-old was, of course, part of the side that secured promotion to League One in 2024. He played in all but five of Stags’ matches back in tier three and last season, he was a key figure in their impressive FA Cup run, starting against both Burnley and Arsenal.
“I love it. From the day I came here, I’ve loved everything about the club,” McLaughlin said. “Every year, you can see progress on and off the pitch. Over the last three years we’ve really come on leaps and bounds, especially off the pitch with the training facilities, which are getting better every year.
“We’ve added more things to the club, like our spa area, but it’s all for improvement and recovery. We’ve got a brand new gym as well. It’s a credit to the chairman. When you’re trying to attract players to the club, it helps massively when they come and see these facilities, and that’s a credit to everybody involved.
“This is an easy club to settle into. Every lad is brilliant and every player who comes here can see that it’s a bit of a family.”
McLaughlin scored his first goal of the season against Bromley, which proved to be key as Stags edged the match 2-1 for a big three points at home.