Argentina should look at Arca, claims Southgate (3 Mar 2007 07:17 GMT)
Gareth Southgate is to invite Argentina coach Alfio Basile to the Riverside in an attempt to win Julio Arca his first senior international cap.
With Arca having hit a rich vein of form since switching to central midfield, the Middlesbrough manager will urge Basile to add Teesside to his itinerary when he next visits England to watch Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano, two established members of his squad.
Arca, a former Under-21 international who represented his country in the 2000 Olympic Games, has never been named in a full Argentina squad.
But with the 26-year-old having emerged as Middlesbrough's most impressive midfielder after making a £1.75m move from Sunderland in the summer, Southgate insists it is time he was given a chance to impress on the senior stage.
"I don't know if the Argentina manager comes to England too often, but I would say it would be well worth him watching Julio," said the Boro boss, who is confident that Arca will shake off a minor knock to line up against Newcastle tomorrow. "I know that the standard he has to pick from is very high but, for me, Julio would be well worth a look."
"Mascherano and (Gabriel) Heinze (of Manchester United) are very good players, but you sometimes wonder whether the fact that Julio's been over here so long means he's out of people's minds. Maybe being in English football for as long as he has is counting against him. That may be why he is always overlooked. But, for me, he is top quality. I would say he's coming into his prime in terms of experience and age, and it would be well worth the coach taking a look at him."
source : The Northern Echo