Liam Rosenior admits Derby ‘need’ Ravel Morrison to keep delivering

Derby assistant manager Liam Rosenior believes Ravel Morrison could be key in the club’s fight for Sky Bet Championship survival.

Morrison scored his first league goals in England for nearly eight years to give the Rams a 2-0 victory over fellow relegation strugglers Barnsley.

Rosenior described Morrison as “absolutely outstanding” and knows how important he could be in the next two months.

Rosenior said: “Ravel has always had the ability but his work-rate, not just in this game but the last three that he’s started, sums up what this team is about, they don’t give up, they fight to the end.

“Obviously Wayne knew Ravel from when he was a young player at Manchester United and when you see him every day in training, his ability is outstanding.

“He’s affecting the game exactly where we want him to, which is in the final third and we’ve worked really hard, showing him clips, having meetings with him to prepare him for this and I think it’s a great stage for him now.

“He’s really enjoying it, we demand commitment, we demand work-rate and I’m not saying he’s never given us that but, in terms of his energy and pressing today, that makes you just as happy as the moments of quality he brings and he was absolutely outstanding.

“As you get older as a player you understand the game better and we are going to need him and his quality for the rest of the season.”

Derby started strongly and it was no surprise when they went ahead in the 22nd minute with Tom Lawrence playing in Luke Plange, who set up Morrison for his first league goal since April 2014.

Carlton Morris had a chance to level four minutes later but could not beat Ryan Allsop at his near post, and that proved to be Barnsley’s best moment in the game.

Morrison struck the top