On this day in 1981, Argentine full back Julio Arca was born.
As many fans may remember, Arca wasted no time in proving his worth to Sunderland. Having missed the three opening games of the season due to an awaited Italian passport, his first game at the SoL was against West Ham United, wherein he netted for the first time. A left-back by trade, Reid converted Julio into a left-sided midfielder, which proved successful in the long run.
Arca scored three times in thirty appearances for the Lads in his first season and picked up the clubs ‘Young Player Of The Year’ award.
Arca’s performances for Sunderland are remembered fondly, however his time on Wearside was plagued by injury. A broken foot against Blackburn, a broken toe in training and incessant muscle injuries left Arca needing to earn back his place in the starting XI. However, the midfielder always bounced back and had no issues in regaining his place in the squad.