PLAYER PROFILE

Julio Arca

Position: Midfield

Height: 6'1

Weight: 10st 12lbs

Date of Birth: 1981-01-31 Quilmes, Argentina

Julio Arca

That Julio Arca was the captain of Argentina's impressive U-21 side said everything about his potential and class. A €3.5 million recruit by Peter Reid in the summer of 2000, Arca moved to Wearside from Argentinos Juniors, Diego Maradona's old club.

Arca has superb touch and is equally comfortable with either foot, though he does prefer his left. Add to this the fact that he can play in either defence or midfield, and you begin to realise quite why Peter Reid so desperately wanted his signature.

His arrival at the Stadium of Light made him the third most expensive signing in Sunderland's history behind Stefan Schwarz and Emerson Thome.

However, Sunderland fans were left under no illusion that it was money well spent as Arca put in a series of impressive performances, showing no signs of the traditional South American struggle to adapt to English football. Arca was named Sunderland's Young Player of the Year in his first season.

In the summer of 2001, he helped Argentina win the World Youth Championships, although he struggled to make a similar impact in the Premiership over the next couple of seasons.

After their relegation in 2003, Arca was restored to the starting line-up by Mick McCarthy and scored four times in 2003/04 and doubled that in their Championship-winning season a year later.

He couldn't help them avoid relegation in an injury-ravaged 2005/06 however, and with his international career stalling at the youth team level, he moved to Middlesbrough in July 2006 for £1.75m, hoping to revive his fortunes.

His first season with Gareth Southgate's side was a successful one as he played 25 games despite breaking his toe in his first match for the club.

He continued this form in 2007/08 and is now one of the first names on Southgate's teamsheet.