With his club he has emerged from the shadows of the more experienced forwards Colm McFadden and Christy Toye to stake his place in the team.[1] McLaughlin's club reached the final of the 2011 Donegal Senior Football Championship—their first ever senior final—but lost, though McLaughlin scored during the game.[2][3]
McLaughlin featured during the 2010 Ulster Under-21 Football Championship won by Donegal, starting against Armagh in the quarter-final, against Derry in the semi-final and against Cavan in the final (and scoring 0–2 in the semi-final).[4]
McLaughlin's appearance as a substitute in the final was hailed as important to Donegal's historic second consecutive Ulster Senior Football Championship winning campaign of 2012.[6] A squad member during Donegal's 2012 All-Ireland winning campaign, he did not play in the final but made a substitute appearances at Croke Park against Kerry in the quarter-final and Cork in the semi-final.[7][8] He accompanied the team on their end-of-year holiday to Dubai.[9]
^McNulty, Chris (23 July 2012). "Hail the history boys". Donegal News. Retrieved 23 July 2012. Subs Christy Toye, Martin McElhinney and Daniel McLaughlin all played their parts. McElhinney hit two points and, along with Toye, helped give Donegal a centrefield foothold, while McLaughlin also got in on the act.
^"Donegal players sing in the new year with rita ora at beach party". 31 December 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2012. Donegal stars Kevin Rafferty and Daniel McLaughlin joked that they were going to a Barn Dance! [...] McLaughlin said: 'For sandance now what a way to end a year and start a new one… Dubai is amazing'.
^"Untitled [photos, four with the captions beneath the top two given]". Donegal News. 31 March 2022. p. 64. Daniel McLaughlin, St Michael's Team Manager 2021 presenting Hugh O'Donnell with the Player of the Year Award… Cathal Sweeney, Senior Team Manager, presenting Kyle McGarvey with the Young Player of the Year Award.