JULIO Arca will be making an emotional return to Sunderland on Saturday.
It will be the first time Arca has been back to the Stadium of Light since reluctantly severing his ties with the club which brought him to England as a teenager in a £3.5million switch from Argentinos Juniors in August 2000.
He was warmly applaud
ed by both sets of fans before the reverse fixture in September, when he had an eventful afternoon.
Arca gave the ball away to allow Sunderland to take the lead and then equalised before leaving the field on a stretcher long before the half-time whistle sounded.
That game finished 2-2, courtesy of Liam Miller's late equaliser, and while a similar result this time around would not be a bad one for either side with both currently separated from the drop zone by five points, victory for either could prove invaluable.
But whatever happens over the course of 90 minutes, Arca is likely to remain a favourite with both sets of supporters.
Boro boss Gareth Southgate said: "The reception he got from both sets of fans in the game at our place tells you not only the quality of the player, but the quality of the man.
"He has embraced both clubs, not only on the field, but off the field.
"He is one of the most willing to get out into the community and do work with youngsters and the supporters, and he is an outstanding human being.
"Both sets of fans can see that and that's why he gets the sort of respect he has."
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