ON the day he officially launched his first restaurant, Middlesbrough’s Dimi Konstantopoulos sat in his new surroundings describing how he still has the hunger for a crack at the Premier League.

The towering Greek shot-stopper showed the media around his new premises on Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough – which is called Great – while explaining how he has tried to remain focused after losing his place since promotion.

Konstantopoulos was a mainstay of the team under head coach Aitor Karanka which sealed a return to the top-flight in May, as well as the previous season’s drive to the play-off final at Wembley.

But after the signings of Victor Valdes and Brad Guzan in the summer, the 37-year-old finds himself wondering if he will be able to appear two more times to hit reach his 100th league appearance milestone in a Middlesbrough shirt.

Having turned down opportunities to move on during the summer, there is no way he is giving up on his dream of appearing in the Premier League before he retires – even if he isn’t making the bench at this stage.

“Every player wants to play games and I'm no different. I'm 37 but I've still got the hunger to play. I'm a squad member and I'll try to help the squad in every way I can,” said Konstantopoulos.

“Last year I was playing games, this year I'm not playing so I'm trying to help in training and in the dressing room. If I get the opportunity to play I'll jump at it and grab it.

“You have to be professional. The worst thing you can do is get your head down and go under because you are not helping yourself and you are not helping the team. I try to improve every day, I'll try to stay sharp and when I'm given the opportunity I'll try to take it.”

It would have been a wrench for Konstantopoulos to leave during the close-season, having played a key role in taking the club back to the Premier League.

He said: “I don't understand the mentality of giving up when you've seen what the club's been through, so it's train every day, stay sharp and when you get the opportunity take it. I've been here before, I've done it in the past and I know how to do it.”

He added: “For me, it's because I'm so settled at this club, I've been here for more than three years and I feel like I know the people and the club inside out and in my experience you don't get that in many clubs and if you don't get that then it might affect your performances.

“When you get that at a club then that's where you should stay and that's where you enjoy your football - whether you are playing or not - enjoy going to work; that was a big factor. Maybe in the past when you are young you might think I'm not staying there if I'm not playing.”

Opening ‘Great’ – which he hopes will be just the first of his modern Greek restaurants – was always going to be on Teesside, given how he has settled in Hartlepool with his family and made a name for himself at Middlesbrough and at Hartlepool United earlier in his career.

He said: “Massively, the area has given me so much, as a player from Hartlepool and now here at Middlesbrough. It's like investing back in this area and it's a big thing, the connection I've got with the area and with the fans. They've always been tremendous and it makes the decision to start something like this much easier.”

Konstantopoulos admitted that his Middlesbrough team-mates have constantly asked when it will open so they can all go down to sample the food – and he is confident they can head there in good form when it does officially open to the public.

Middlesbrough will head to champions Leicester City on Saturday sitting just a point above the relegation zone after winning just one of their last ten matches. However, having only lost one of their last four matches with Arsenal, Bournemouth, Manchester City and Chelsea, confidence has grown.

Konstantopoulos said: “We're doing well. We knew it was going to be a battle, it wouldn't be like last season when we won five games then maybe lost one.

"We knew that we would go into pretty much every game as underdogs. But I think we've got the quality in the squad so that it gets easier and the results will get better.

“Individually we have very good players, a lot of them have proved that in the past that they can do it at the top level. We also have a lot of talented young players who have a bright future.

"The more games we play the more time we can spend together because a lot of players joined in the summer and the more we play the more we will gel.”

• Great, the modern Greek restaurant on Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, will be opening soon.