Julio Arca
| Born | 31 January 1981, Quilmes Bernal |
| Nationality | Argentine |
| Weight | 73 kg |
| Height | 1.78 m |
| Position | Defender/Midfielder |
Peter Reid raised a few eyebrows when he paid out a substantial fee for this relatively unknown Argentinian youngster, but Julio soon showed the Sunderland faithful why he was valued so highly and he quickly became a crowd favourite.
Just 25 minutes into his debut against West Ham United, he headed home Kevin Kilbane's cross and became the new hero on Wearside.
Although he was absent early in the New Year due to international commitments, he returned to score superb goals against Manchester United and Ipswich Town.
A left-sided midfielder or winger, he combines outstanding ball skills with some aggressive tackling and was a real thorn in the side of many a Premiership right back in 2000-01.
An unmistakable sight with socks around his ankles and golden boots, he was a member of the Argentina Under-20 team that won the World Youth Championships in the summer, and was voted 'Young Player of the Year' by members of the Supporters' Association.
Julio's contract at Sunderland was extended to June 2007 in November 2004.
His contract at Middlesbrough was extended to June 2011 in March 2008 and to June 2013 in August 2011.
Career stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-00 | Argentina | Under-21 | 1 | ||||
| 2000-01 | Argentina | South America Youth Championship Under-20 | 7 | 2 |
3
|
||
| 2000-01 | Argentina | World Youth Cup Under-20 | 2 |
||||
| 2000-01 | Sunderland | FA Cup | 1 |
1
|
|||
| 2000-01 | Sunderland | Premier League | 26 | 1 |
2 |
6
|
|
| 2000-01 | Sunderland | Worthington Cup | 2 | 1 |
1
|
||
| 2001-02 | Argentina | World Youth Cup | 3 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Sunderland | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Sunderland | Premier League | 20 | 2 |
1 |
3
|
|
| 2001-02 | Sunderland | Worthington Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2002-03 | Sunderland | FA Cup | 4 | 1 |
|||
| 2002-03 | Sunderland | Premier League | 7 | 6 |
|||
| 2002-03 | Sunderland | Worthington Cup | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2003-04 | Sunderland | FA Cup | 6 | 2 |
1
|
||
| 2003-04 | Sunderland | League Division 1 | 31 | 4 |
4
|
2
|
|
| 2004-05 | Sunderland | Carling Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2004-05 | Sunderland | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2004-05 | Sunderland | League Championship | 39 | 1 |
9 |
8
|
|
| 2005-06 | Sunderland | FA Cup | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 2005-06 | Sunderland | Premier League | 22 | 2 |
1 |
5
|
|
| 2006-07 | Middlesbrough | FA Cup | 7 | 1 |
|||
| 2006-07 | Middlesbrough | Premier League | 18 | 3 |
2 |
3
|
|
| 2007-08 | Middlesbrough | FA Cup | 5 |
1
|
|||
| 2007-08 | Middlesbrough | Premier League | 23 | 1 |
2 |
6
|
|
| 2008-09 | Middlesbrough | FA Cup | 3 | ||||
| 2008-09 | Middlesbrough | Premier League | 14 | 4 |
5
|
||
| 2009-10 | Middlesbrough | Carling Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2009-10 | Middlesbrough | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2009-10 | Middlesbrough | League Championship | 26 | 8 |
7
|
||
| 2010-11 | Middlesbrough | Carling Cup | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 2010-11 | Middlesbrough | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2010-11 | Middlesbrough | League Championship | 27 | 5 |
3 |
9
|
|
| 2011-12 | Middlesbrough | Carling Cup | 1 | 1 |
1
|
||
| 2011-12 | Middlesbrough | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2011-12 | Middlesbrough | League Championship | 22 | 8 |
3
|
1
|
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Match history
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Feb 2000 | England v Argentina | L | 1-0 | Under-21 | |
| 16 Jan 2001 | Colombia v Argentina | W | 1-4 | SAYC Under-20 | Group B |
| 18 Jan 2001 | Argentina v Chile | W | 1-0 | SAYC Under-20 | Group B |
| 22 Jan 2001 | Argentina v Uruguay | D | 1-1 | SAYC Under-20 | Group B |
| 24 Jan 2001 | Ecuador v Argentina | W | 0-1 | SAYC Under-20 | Final round |
| 26 Jan 2001 | Argentina v Chile | D | 2-2 | SAYC Under-20 | Final round |
| 28 Jan 2001 | Brazil v Argentina | L | 1-0 | SAYC Under-20 | Final round |
| 04 Feb 2001 | Paraguay v Argentina | D | 1-1 | SAYC Under-20 | |
| 20 Jun 2001 | Argentina v Egypt | W | 7-1 | World Youth Cup Under-20 | Group A |
| 23 Jun 2001 | Argentina v Jamaica | W | 5-1 | World Youth Cup Under-20 | Group A |
| 01 Jul 2001 | Argentina v France | W | 3-1 | World Youth Cup | Quarter-final |
| 04 Jul 2001 | Argentina v Paraguay | W | 5-0 | World Youth Cup | Semi-final |
| 08 Jul 2001 | Argentina v Ghana | W | 3-0 | World Youth Cup | Final |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Club history
| Team | Joined | Left | Loan / Trialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentinos Juniors | 01 Jul 1999 | 31 Aug 2000 | |
| Sunderland | 31 Aug 2000 | 26 Jul 2006 | |
| Middlesbrough | 26 Jul 2006 |