Julio Arca

Julio Arca is an Argentine midfielder. He was born on 31 January 1981 in Quilmes, Argentina.

In 1992, Julio passed a trial at the academy of Argentinos Juniors and showed stellar performance in a demonstration game, which impressed the coaching staff. The same year, the footballer became a trainee of the youth system and was asked to join the U-13 squad of the club. It took Arca seven years to perfect his skills and get ready for a senior start.

In 1998, the midfielder was given a chance to take part in several matches for the main squad, because the head coach wanted to see him in action. One year later, Julio graduated from the academy and penned his first professional contract with Argentinos Juniors, where he took his tally to 36 appearances by 2000.

In 2000, the footballer sealed a deal with English side Sunderland and started to discover the new league, where every move and decision has vital importance. However, Arca coped with all difficulties and managed to gain the head coach’s confidence in a short term, which helped him to come on the pitch more often and amass 17 goals in 157 games during six years.

In 2006, the midfielder put pen to paper of a contract with Middlesbrough, which saw him score seven goals in 159 fixtures during 7 years. In the summer 2013 he was released from the club.