IT promises to be a thrilling end to the season for everyone involved with Middlesbrough, but for goalkeeper Dimi Konstantopoulos, such end-of-term excitement is nothing new.

During his four seasons in the North-East with Hartlepool, the Greek shot-stopper became accustomed to late-season drama, with his final three years at Victoria Park encompassing the heartbreak of a play-off final defeat at Wembley, the trauma of relegation from League One, and the triumph of an immediate return to the third tier via promotion from League Two.

The current campaign promises to be every bit as thrilling, with Boro heading to Fulham this afternoon knowing a victory is guaranteed to lift them back into the automatic promotion places for at least a couple of days.

Aitor Karanka’s side have spent the whole of this year hovering around the top four positions in the table, and while their promotion fate is not in their own hands as they trail Watford and Bournemouth with two games remaining, some further twists and turns seem inevitable.

Some players might struggle to cope with the mounting pressure, but for 36-year-old Konstantopoulos, the next few weeks will not present anything new.

“It never seems to be quiet for me,” he said. “Throughout my career, the one thing you can say about the ends of the seasons is that it hasn’t been boring.

“There have been good times and bad. It seems as though if I haven’t been playing for a promotion, I’ve been playing to try to avoid relegation at the other end of the table instead.

“I like it that way. I don’t like boring seasons, and you want to have something to fight for. I’ve had that so far in my career, so hopefully I’ve got enough experience from that department to help me. It’s certainly going to be exciting again.”

If Boro are to force their way into the automatic promotion positions over the final two matches, there is every chance that Konstantopoulos’ form will be crucial.

The Teessiders boast the best defensive record in the Championship, with last Friday’s clean sheet making it 20 for the season in the league.

In Daniel Ayala, Ben Gibson and Jonathan Woodgate, Boro boast three of the most highly-rated centre-halves in the division, but their impressive defensive record reflects a collective determination to be as resilient and competitive as possible.

The likes of Grant Leadbitter and Adam Clayton have been every bit as important in terms of keeping clean sheets, with Karanka’s role on the training ground of utmost significance when it comes to instilling a sense of defensive reliability.

“Our defending has been fantastic this season,” said Konstantopoulos. “We showed that again at Norwich. When we don’t have the ball, we work so hard, and when we do have the ball, we have the quality that is needed to score goals.

“That goes for the whole of the team, and even the players who have been coming off the bench have the same mentality.

“That all comes from the mentality that the manager brings to the club. The resilience transmits from the manager to the players, and that gives everyone a hunger to succeed. We all want to play for each other.

“A lot of the players are the same players that were here for the last couple of seasons, and our defending wasn’t as good back then. That shows the improvement that there has been as a defensive unit, and the progress that the club has made.”

Konstantopoulos’ individual form has also been crucial, with the veteran shot-stopper making the first-team spot his own despite competition from Tomas Mejias, who was recruited on the personal recommendation of Karanka.

“I’m happy with the way I’ve been playing,” he said. “I’ve learned through my career that the key to being a good goalkeeper is consistency through the season. There’s no point being spectacular one game, and then following that with two off games.

“That doesn’t help the team. I’ve managed that through the years during my career, and I think I’ve come to understand that aspect of my position. A lot of that has to do with mental preparation and concentration, and I think I have the experience for that now. I’m trying to help the team when I’m called upon.”

The upshot of Boro’s ongoing promotion push is an outpouring of interest and passion that has not been seen on Teesside for a number of years.

Next weekend’s final home game with Brighton is already completely sold out, and from his base in Hartlepool, Konstantopoulos has enjoyed charting the fans’ mounting excitement.

“Hartlepool is only ten minutes from Middlesbrough, and even before I was a player for Middlesbrough, I always got a bit of a feel for what was happening with the club,” he said.

“Now, from what I hear and see, I can sense a real optimism about the future here. I’m just pleased I’ve been able to be a part of this season and hopefully we will finish it on a high.”