Exclusive: Dimi Konstantopoulos talks George Friend, learning from ex-Newcastle stopper and bouncing back from Norwich City loss

“It’s the end of an era to be fair." Dimi Konstantopoulos is looking back at some of the highlights during his six-year spell at Middlesbrough, in particular the club’s promotion-winning side from 2016.

"I still speak with the lads every now and then, we keep in touch,” he adds. “We’re going to be friends for life for the seasons we had together and the success we had. We were very tight off the pitch.”

Four years later the landscape has completely changed at Boro, especially after the departures of Daniel Ayala, Adam Clayton and George Friend this summer.

Friend’s move to Birmingham City earlier this month ended the defender’s eight-year stay on Teesside, a spell which saw him form a special bond with the club’s supporters.

“George is a top guy,” Konstantopoulos tells the Mail. “He’s one of the best servants for the club and he’ll be missed, not only playing but his contribution to the community and to the club.

“He’s another one from the old guard but that’s just the way it is, new managers come, new philosophies, new players come in, it’s inevitable that would happen.”

Konstantopoulos was also a popular figure at the Riverside after joining the club in 2013 and spending six years at the club.

The Greek shot-stopper was signed by Tony Mowbray that summer after being released by native side AEK Athens and knew the North East well following his time at Hartlepool United.

"I was looking to come back to the UK and I was having a chat with different clubs,” says Konstantopoulos when reflecting on his move to Boro.

"They rang me from Middlesbrough and said they wanted to get me in, it was on a short-term contract but Tony said to me it’s up to you how long you want to be here.

"My wife is from Hartlepool so I knew the area. There were other offers in England and some from abroad but Middlesbrough was the most suitable one to stay in the area so I didn’t have to think about it much."

Konstantopoulos started his Boro career as a back-up keeper behind Jason Steele but always believed he could claim the No 1 jersey.

And within a couple of months of the Greek’s arrival, a change or management saw Aitor Karanka take charge at the Riverside, a move which saw a change of fortunes for the club and their keepers.

"He came with great experience as a player and as a manager and had different ideas to domestic managers,” says Konstantopoulos when discussing Karanka’s influence.

“His personality was very imposing and very dominant and he was commanding respect from all the lads. When he came in he said he doesn’t care about contracts or names, whoever he thinks needs to play will play and he kept his word.

When asked what the biggest change was when Karanka came in, Konstantopoulos replied: "Straight away the discipline and competition for places.

"Tony Mowbray was a great manager and he has done really well. I don’t think it was so much the difference of the manager but the fact there was a change needed.

"That changed galvanised everyone, the club, the players, we see it everywhere to be fair, and I think the changes turned out to be healthy for the club.”

Shortly after Karanka’s appointment, the Spanish boss signed experienced goalkeeper Shay Given on a short-term loan deal from Aston Villa.

The former Newcastle United stopper was only at Boro for three months but kept an impressive 10 clean sheets in 16 games for the Teessiders.

And for Konstantopoulos, Given’s arrival gave him the chance to learn from a player with over 400 Premier League appearances - a significant moment in the Greek’s career.

"Shay was a joy to work with, a top lad, great goalkeeper, unbelievable career,” says Konstantopoulos.

"You can only learn from him, training and working with him was really enjoyable and made it really easy.

“The calmness and the detail which went into his technique was spotless and he would set the bar really high for himself even in training. To see that commitment in every training session was really inspiring.”

After Given returned to Villa, Konstantopoulos took his opportunity with both hands at the end of the 2013/14 season, starting 12 consecutive Championship games.

And despite seeing new signing Tomas Mejias start the first five league games of the following campaign, the Greek quickly won his place back as Boro pushed for promotion and went all the way to the play-off final.

A 2-0 defeat by Norwich at Wembley in front of 40,000 Boro fans certainly stung – yet the moment acted as motivation for the following season, when Boro were eventually promoted to the Premier League.

"After that season we kept the core of the team but also strengthened, that gave us another platform to push on,” reflects Konstantopoulos

"We knew we were favourites for the next season and from the beginning of the season we had characters and personalities in the team to cope with that.

"It was terrible losing a play-off final in front of so many fans, we knew we didn’t perform our best and were determined to put it right the next season."

Konstantopoulos started every Championship match during the 2015/16 promotion-winning season, an emotional campaign for all involved.

After losing a game at Charlton in March, when Karanka wasn’t present following a disagreement in the dressing room, it looked like Boro had blown it, yet Konstantopoulos says there was always belief among the group.

"We were always confident, obviously there were some things which happened from our own doing,” adds Konstantopoulos.

"We knew from the beginning that the only ones who could stop us were ourselves if we didn't perform to the best of our ability – we knew if we played as well as we could we could beat anyone."

During his time at Boro Konstantopoulos worked with popular goalkeeping coach Leo Percovich, who has since returned to the club in a more general coaching role.

When asked about the Uruguayan, Konstantopoulos replies: “He was good, I think his best attribute was he understood how to manage a keeper.

"He was working very close with me and knew how to keep me fit and on the top of my performance, when I needed a rest and needed pushing.

"Being a goalkeeper himself, he was a good goalkeeper coach but I think his ambition was to jump into that coaching field.

"When he left he was under-19s full coach in South America so I think that’s the path he wanted to follow.”

Following the major highlight of winning promotion, Konstantopoulos endured some frustrating spells at Boro, especially during the club’s Premier League campaign when he suddenly became third choice behind new signings Víctor Valdes and Brad Guzan.

"Nothing was said to me and that was the frustrating thing,” remembers Konstantopoulos.

"I had a few offers to leave in the summer when I went from number one to number three but they didn’t want to let me go. They said you’re here and part of the team so push for your place.

“It was obviously a frustrating season because I thought I deserved at least a chance but this is football.

“There were a few offers from Championship clubs in January time again. There were offers there were discussions but Middlesbrough didn’t want to let me go.

“I never caused any problems, obviously I love the club and just carried on.”

That passion for the club is still evident today and, after a brief spell with former club Hartlepool, the 41-year-old has joined local Northern League Division One side Thornaby ahead of the 2020-21 campaign.

His time on Teesside will never be forgotten though, especially those two years when the club were fighting for promotion. “It was a great squad and great memories,” he concludes. Boro fans will certainly agree.

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