Mendes helped his national team book a World Cup play-off spot with a 4-0 win over Malta earlier this week.
“It was great to be here with my team-mates and help Portugal progress,” the midfielder said. “It was a pleasure for me but now I’m going back into the cold.
“I don’t know what the coach’s plans are for me. To be called upon wasn’t something I was expecting.
“When the coach told me he would play me – that was another huge surprise.
“This double-header against Hungary and Malta was important for the national team and I am pleased to have played my role well.
“If I analyse my performance, I am very happy with what I did and I hope the coach was also.
“It was nice to play in front of the fans of my home town. They were fantastic and that was a big help.”
