Aitor Karanka transfer swoop landed Middlesbrough cult-hero in just 19 appearances: View | OneFootball

Tomas Mejias became a cult-figure on Teesside thanks to some heroic performances in the cup that helped Boro pull of multiple giant-killings.

Aitor Karanka's Middlesbrough signed Real Madrid goalkeeper Tomas Mejias in 2014, and despite only making 19 appearances during his Boro career, the Spaniard would become a cult-figure on Teesside.

Joining on an initial loan deal until the end of the season in February 2014, Mejias' Middlesbrough move would see him link back up with Karanka, after the pair had been at Real Madrid together during the Boro boss' time as assistant manager to José Mourinho.

Mejias would make his Middlesbrough stay a permanent one that summer, signing a two-year contract in what would be Karanka's first full season in charge of the club.

The goalkeeper would go on to make just a handful of appearances for the club over the coming years, but some heroic performances ensured that he'd leave a legacy that would mean he'd always have a place in the hearts of the Riverside faithful.

Football League World takes a look back on Mejias' time in the North East, and explores why he became such a well-loved figure despite his lack of game time.

Mejias finds veteran goalkeeper too tough to dislodge from starting lineup

Being just 25 at the time of his arrival on Teesside, Mejias was still a young player as far as goalkeepers go. He'd also only made one senior appearance for Real Madrid, with the rest of his experience coming in the footballing giants' second team.

Dimitrious "Dimi" Konstantopoulos was at the other end of the experience spectrum, as he'd signed as a 34-year-old on an initial short-term deal in August 2013, before his performances saw him overtake Jason Steele to the starting gloves, and earned him a longer-term contract.

Dimi began his goalkeeping career in 1996 in his homeland of Greece, before moving to fellow North East side Hartlepool United in 2003. He would go on to make well over 100 appearances for Pools, before spending time with Coventry, Nottingham Forest, Swansea and Cardiff respectively.

In short, he could present a CV full of experience across various levels of the game, and was the goalkeeper who Karanka opted to hand the starting gloves to for the 2014/15 season.

Dislocating his finger during his initial loan spell with the club meant that Mejias was limited to just one appearance in the 2013/14 season, giving Dimi enough time to cement himself as the number one option.

Future goalkeeping additions such as Victor Valdes, Brad Guzan and Darren Randolph ensured that Mejias would always have stiff competition for a starting role at the Riverside, and he ultimately made the decision to leave the club on a free transfer in 2018.

He would return to the club, however, signing on a free in July 2019, before leaving on loan the following summer. Mejias would leave Middlesbrough for the final time in January 2021, signing for Turkish side Ankaraspor on a free transfer.

Cup heroics cement Mejias' legacy as cult-hero on Teesside

Whilst it didn't work out for Mejias in terms of winning a place in the Middlesbrough squad for their league fixtures, his Boro legacy was written in the cup.

First came a chilly January afternoon in 2015, as Boro headed to the Etihad Stadium to take on Premier League champions Manchester City in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Goals from Patrick Bamford and Kike, whilst some fantastic saves from Mejias ensured that Boro would cause a huge upset that day, running out 2-0 winners against Manuel Pellegrini's City side.

Next came another trip to Manchester, this time the destination was Old Trafford, as Middlesbrough took on Manchester United in the fourth round of the League Cup in late October 2015.

Nothing could separate the two sides after 90 minutes and extra-time, and so a penalty shootout in front of a travelling army of 10,000 Teessiders would be needed to decide the victor.

Grant Leadbitter, Stewart Downing and Ben Gibson would all convert their spot-kicks for Boro, whilst Mejias would deny first Wayne Rooney, and then Ashley Young to ensure that Boro's Spanish shotstopper would become the hero on the night.

His Middlesbrough teammates mobbed him as they celebrated in front of the Boro fans, as Karanka's side won the shootout 3-1, dumping Louis van Gaal's Red Devils out of the competition.

Mejias would have one more big cup performance left in him, as in early January 2020, and in his second spell as a Boro player, Jonathan Woodgate's men welcomed Tottenham Hotspur to the Riverside Stadium for an FA Cup third round clash.

Ashley Fletcher would open the scoring in the 50th minute for Boro, before a lovely header by Lucas Moura just 10 minutes later would mean Middlesbrough would have to settle for a 1-1 draw against the Premier League side.

Mejias would get the nod once again in the replay at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium nine days later, and despite a late George Saville strike, Spurs' class would show as they won the game by two goals to one.

He may not have made many appearances in a Middlesbrough shirt, but his heroic performances in the cup mean Mejias is still fondly remembered by Boro supporters to this day, with those memorable giant-killings being days that Teessiders will never forget.