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Derby County forward Nathaniel Mendez-Laing admits he keeps a constant eye of his assists tally, but was surprised to learn he set a club record in Saturday's win at Bristol Rovers.

The 31-year-old set Tom Barkhuizen up for a goal, and took his league tally of assists to 15 for the season.

Craig Bryson's 14 in the 2013-14 league season was the previous best since the statistic began being recorded.

"I love providing assists," Mendez-Laing said when told of the record.

"I didn't know, but it is now nice to know that [the record].

"I do know my tally, I've got a little board at home in the kitchen so I see it every day.

"And not just for that reason, but as a bit more motivation - and that's for goals, assists, games and wins that we might need."

Mendez-Laing is still seven assists short of the League One record of 22, which Grant McCann produced for Peterborough in the 2010-11 season.

The Rams winger has been instrumental for the Rams this season, having scored eight league goals to go with all those he has laid off for team-mates.

Derby's win at Bristol Rovers moved the Rams back up to second in the table and into the automatic promotion spots with nine matches remaining.

And it is a return to the Championship after a two-year absence that Mendez-Laing is most focused on when studying that board at home.

"We all have different strengths, but one of mine is providing assists," he told ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio Derby.

"Thankfully, I can do that, but it would just be nice to get something to go with it at the end of it."

Derby next host relegation-threatened Reading on Tuesday.