Nathaniel Mendez-Laing
Nathaniel Otis Mendez-Laing (born 15 April 1992) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for EFL League One club Derby County. Born and raised in England to a Jamaican father and a Belizean mother of Guatemalan descent, he plays for the Guatemala national team on international level. Born in Birmingham, he began his career with Wolverhampton Wanderers, making his professional debut in 2009 at the age of nineteen. However, after loan spells with Peterborough United and Sheffield United, he left the club, joining Peterborough on a permanent deal in 2012. He made 60 appearances for Peterborough, spending time on loan with Portsmouth, Shrewsbury Town and Cambridge United, before joining Rochdale where he made 83 appearances during a two-year spell. In 2017, he joined Cardiff City, where he helped the side win promotion to the Premier League in his first season. Mendez-Laing has also represented England at under-16 and under-17 level, before declaring for Guatemala in 2023. Club career Wolverhampton Wanderers Born in Birmingham, West Midlands to a Jamaican father and a Belizean mother of Guatemalan descent, Mendez-Laing is a product of the Wolverhampton Wanderers academy. Having represented England at under-16 and under-17 level, he made his senior debut for Wolves on 25 August 2009 in a League Cup victory over Swindon Town and was named Man of the Match for his performance at the age of seventeen. He subsequently signed his first professional contract with the club in March 2010. Mendez-Laing joined League One side Peterborough United on loan for the 2010–11 season on 1 July 2010. He made his debut for the club on the opening day of the 2010–11 season, starting in a 3–0 victory over Bristol Rovers. He made forty appearances in total, scoring five times, during the season as Peterborough made the play-offs, where they won promotion back to the Championship at the first attempt. During the close season, between June and August, it was confirmed that a fee had been agreed to permanently transfer Mendez-Laing to Peterborough, around £250,000. However, the move collapsed when personal terms could not be agreed. Instead of moving back to Peterborough, Mendez-Laing moved on loan to League One side Sheffield United in a deal to run until 3 January 2012, making his début for the Blades a few days later, in the first found of the League Cup against Hartlepool United. He played regularly until picking up an injury at the end of September which sidelined him for a number of weeks. Having returned to his parent club for rehabilitation he then sustained another injury whilst warming up for his first game back at Bramall Lane which was to keep him out for the remainder of his loan spell, thus he returned to the Midlands having made eleven appearances and scoring one goal in his time at United. Peterborough United In July 2012, Mendez-Laing revived his move to former loan club Peterborough United, a deal that he had turned down the previous summer. He signed a three-year contract