The winger scored in Derby’s 2-0 win over Exeter City at Pride Park on Tuesday night, which was also his first goal for the season.

The Guatemalan has been struggling to make a big impact this season and was not in the starting eleven in Derby’s 1-0 defeat against Shrewsbury Town.

He indicated that the forward needed the break and the effect was there to spot against Exeter City.

 

The former Derby star said on Rams TV: “I think maybe that little bit of respite from coming out for a game has done him a world of good.

“It’s not just physical but it can be draining mentally.

 

“You don’t get a break from football and it’s important you do just to reset your mind and feel refreshed coming into a game.

 

“The amount of players I have known that have just felt better after maybe getting dropped when they are not playing particularly well or having a respite and then coming back into it

 

“It felt like that for Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.”

 

Mendez-Laing will hope to add more goals to his tally going forward and will hope to be in the team to face Stevenage on Saturday.

 

 

 

He was back in the starting eleven on Tuesday night and got on the scoresheet to help the Rams get back to winning ways.

Barker feels being out of the starting eleven helped the attacker to recharge his batteries as playing week-in-week-out is both physically and mentally challenging.