For the North East's most famous ever player - after a career which brought him big-money moves and a place on English football's greatest stages - life in Sunday League was a bit "naughty", but generally nice. In September 2014, less than 18 months on from playing in the Championship for Middlesbrough, Julio Arca was paying £3.50 a week to turn out for Willow Pond FC in the Sunderland Sunday League Second Division.
It was a far cry from the near-150 games he spent in the Premier League with Sunderland and Boro. And it was even further from his native Argentina, where he lifted the U20 World Cup with the likes of Javier Saviola before leaving for Wearside - and Sunderland's greatest modern-day team - in July 2000.
But it was at Willow Pond that Arca's love of football was resurrected - and completely enough for him to go on and enjoy a golden epilogue to his career at South Shields ... Wembley triumph and all.
Arca said: “I got involved in Sunday league by a friend that was playing for the Willow Pond for a very long time, after several times getting the question from my friend to go and play I decided to give it a go. “Sunday League is an experience, was for me at least, all working class people that love football but for different reasons never got the chance to make it in football. “There was some good players and some naughty ones too, but that’s what you get in Sunday League. "Yes, I did enjoy playing for them, I got the chance to meet some great lads there that, up to now, I’m in touch with them. “After a season playing for Willow Pond, the manager from South Shields at that time contacted me asking me if I wanted to give it a go in a more competitive division. “After a few meetings we got into an agreement and that’s how my South Shields career started. “Of course, I never thought after being retired from professional football that I could have a chance at all to play at Wembley. “But that’s how crazy football is, football can take you to places that you never imagine, after a fantastic season with South Shields we ended up in Wembley winning the final with a fantastic 18,000 fans supporting us.
Julio Arca celebrating South Shields 4-0 victory over Cleethorpes Town at Wembley “Sunday League was a one-off experience and I don’t think I’ll do it again; I enjoyed my time there and I took great memories, but I cannot see myself going back to play there, at least for now.” Even Argentinian former Premier League midfielders have dabbled in Sunday League, the very heart of English football.
Sunday League presented Arca with the opportunity to continue playing at a somewhat high level and gave him a chance to play at Wembley with Shields when they won the FA Vase Final in 2017.
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