Former SAFC fan favourite Julio Arca scored on his debut game for Northern League side South Shields, but the Mariners could only manage a draw against Stokesley.
Arca who is still only 34 years old was released by Middlesbrough in 2013, before joining Shields he was playing for Sunday league side Williow Pond. While returning to the club he loves, Sunderland AFC as a youth coach he still has the legs to ply his trade on the pitch by playing for South Shields.
Although Arca wasn’t the only ex- Sunderland debutant this weekend, Ryan Noble a product of the Academy of Light also appeared.
Noble hasn’t quiet had the career that Arca has, having ever only made 1 appearance for Sunderland’s senior side. Then being loaned out to several championship and League One side. He even found himself on the senior pre-season of 2012 when the Black Cats travelled to South Korea, but was released by the club later that year.
Playing a season at Burnley before moving on to Gateshead, which lasted only 1 season, moving on to Durham City. Again his time at Durham didn’t last too long moving to Sunderland RCA, a month later signed for South Shields.