Aitor Karanka: Boro players have time to impress, just like Richie Smallwood

Boro boss says: 'There is always time for players to impress. If they are not in the team they can impress in training every day'

Boro are keeping midfielder Richie Smallwood at the club after he has impressed on loan at Rotherham - and Aitor Karanka says other players have time to impress and secure their futures.

Smallwood, 23, quickly established himself in South Yorkshire, and has made 16 appearances for the League One club since switching in January. So now Boro have activated a one-year option he had on his Riverside contract.

And Boro boss Karanka urged others who have not been Boro regulars to pull out all the stops to extend their time with the club.

“There is always time for players to impress. If they are not in the team they can impress in training every day,” he said. “I need to know the players 100%. They have to do their job.

“We need to finish off this season and then make decisions. Maybe some don’t want to be here. Let’s try and win our last four games and then we’ll see.”

Dimi Konstantopoulos has made the goalkeeping shirt his own and Karanka cites him as another example to learn from.

“Dimi can inspire others,” he said. “He might have been disappointed when Shay Given came in because he was already here. Also when Tomas Mejias came. But Dimi kept on working in the same way, training very well every day.”