Life as a free agent has been undoubtedly fascinating for Ryan McLaughlin

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Life as a free agent has been undoubtedly fascinating for Ryan McLaughlin. He has trained with Michael Conlan, looked for job during a winter World Cup, and gone viral due to Victoria Beckham.

On deadline day, the 28-year-old departed Morecambe and, for the first time in 11 years, was without the security of having a club to call home.

At the age of 16, McLaughlin secured a significant transfer to Liverpool. However, the Northern Ireland defender left Anfield in 2016, going on to play for Oldham Athletic, Blackpool, Rochdale, and the Shrimps.

After stints in the Championship and League One, McLaughlin acknowledges that he has found it "tough" to adapt to the footballing wasteland.

He added, I had hoped to be able to take a break for a few months, like a summer vacation, but after a few weeks, I was eager to come back to work,

"But I take a look at myself. I still have a good five or six years left; I'm just 28.

"I still have goals. I want to try new things, play overseas, compete in various leagues, and make the Northern Ireland squad," the player said.

McLaughlin, who earned the final of his five caps for Northern Ireland in 2018, claims that maintaining the rhythm of club football has been essential to keeping him in shape when he was a free agent.

In an effort to keep fresh, he has been working out with the teams of friends in his hometown of Belfast. He has made an effort to stick to the schedule of two sessions each day.

I've made an effort to maintain my pattern by waking up early and going to training. Losing the habit is a significant deal.

I maintain my regimen and take the same days off as I would in football so that there won't be a significant shift when I return in January.

Every time I go for a run, I think about it because it gives me a little extra drive.

McLaughlin claims he has had offers from the League of Ireland, England, Scotland, the United States, and other countries, but he "needs to weigh everything carefully."

Due to the winter World Cup, he continues, "it's definitely the maddest time to be a free agent," and he will make a decision on his future over the holiday season.