It is not a rare occasion when a player crosses the north-east divide and dons the red and white of both Sunderland and Middlesbrough. However, it is a rarity to see them become iconic figures for both clubs and Julio Arca hits that sweetspot on both Wearside and Teesside.
With nearly 200 appearances for Sunderland between 2000-2006, his technical ability, work ethic and passion for the game holds him in high regard which ended up becoming translatable qualities that allowed him to flourish on Teesside.
A player who was very easy on the eye, Arca virtually had his entire professional career as a footballer in the north east before going on to play semi-professional football with South Shields. Perhaps it would be fair to say that his case is out of the ordinary considering his birthplace of Quilmes, Argentina is over 7000 miles away.
Nevertheless, Arca has produced all the hallmarks that have made both fanbase from Sunderland and Middlesbrough endear to his ability. Despite his affinity on Wearside, he has even come back to haunt them by scoring in this very fixture for Boro. However, there seems to be no grudge held given his contribution to Sunderland over the years.
Having been a fan favourite for Sunderland and Middlesbrough, what does the next steps look like for the 41-year-old? “In the back of my mind, I’ve thought about going back to football in a different role and this is on the coaching side” Arca told safc.com
“I am putting my mind into that. Hopefully I can get to my A license course and then progress from that to see what opportunities present.”
Over time, his connection to Sunderland has not been lost and with one eye on building a career in coaching, he has closely watched the Lads progress this season.
He continued: “I think the transformation since Tony (Mowbray) arrived, especially in the philosophy of football, has been great. It’s something that we haven’t seen in Sunderland for a good while.
“Passing football, playing from the back, trying to keep the ball, patient with the ball. They have got some fantastic young players in here that can play football very technically.
“Every process needs time and I think the fans need to be patient but they can already see what these group of people can do with the team in Tony and his coaches.”
With no ceiling being put on Sunderland’s season as they sit in the top half of a very tight Sky Bet Championship table, the Argentine fully understands the wave of optimism at the club given he was part of a promotion winning campaign in the past.
Arca explained: “Obviously the closer you are to the play-offs, the more ambitious the fans get because it’s never enough with us being in League One last season. If you said to them at the beginning of the season we will finish top ten, they would probably say sure.
“It’s understandable to think about promotion the closer you get to the play-offs. The passion will take you there but I think they need to understand that this league is a competitive league. You can win and lose a game against anyone but it’s a process. Sunderland are going in the right direction.”
Following Middlesbrough’s defeat in the UEFA Cup final in 2006, Arca made the short switch to Teesside to become part of current England manager Gareth Southgate’s side.
Before the move, he admits that a north east was rivalry was firmly in place when both sides were in the top flight.
Arca added: “This is the game you would always look at on the fixture list especially when the three north east teams were in the Premier League.
“When we played Newcastle at home or away, you know how important the games are. Not just for the club but for the fans as well. It’s that kind of games where the less mistakes you do, the better. I just wanted to do everything one hundred per cent perfect.
“Now watching from the outside, you have got two teams going really well in the Championship in Sunderland and Middlesbrough so it will be interesting to see what happens on Sunday.”
With both sides well postioned in the Sky Bet Championship table, Sunday’s match up brings some intrigue from the watching neutral. But a man of his experience in the north east knows only too well that the Lads have an effective weapon in their arsenal ahead of the game.
The 41-year-old said: “The good thing for Sunderland this weekend is that they are playing at home. You know what the fans are like at the Stadium of Light. They can be the extra man.
“I believe it’s an advantage for Sunderland but it always depends on how you start the game. You start sharp, you do the right things, you concentrate. If it starts the other when then it might be a long game.
“I think the team is preparing well and Tony will find the best eleven he can to win the game on Sunday.”