JULIO ARCA has begun working with Sunderland’s backroom team – and would love to go on to manage the Black Cats.

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The former midfielder, who was one of the most popular Sunderland players of the Premier League era, was forced to retire from playing a year ago.

Since then, he has started to work towards his FA coaching qualifications, and has taken up a role working with Sunderland’s youth teams as part of new head coach Dick Advocaat’s backroom set-up.

The 34-year-old has also teamed up with another former Black Cat, Gary Bennett, to provide coaching in Wearside schools, and is determined to secure the full set of UEFA qualifications as quickly as possible.

That would enable him to target senior coaching positions, and while his touchline career is still in its infancy, he readily admits he would love to lead Sunderland or another of his former clubs, Middlesbrough, in the future, having made his permanent home in the North-East.

“If I get all the way through with my badges and all that, then obviously I would love to manage Sunderland and be back at the club,” said Arca, in an interview for Made In Tyne and Wear TV show Football Still Matters, which is aired later this evening. “It would be excellent, but you are looking far, far away at the moment.

“It is always going to be nice to be linked with the club that looked after me, as well as Middlesbrough. Sunderland saw me growing up from a young age and Middlesbrough gave me a second chance in the Premier League and looked after me. I am always going to be thankful to the two clubs.

“And if something like that could happen in the future, or I got the chance to be linked with them and to be the manager one day, it would be great.”

Arca is the final guest in the six-part Football Still Matters series, and tonight’s show, which airs at 9.30pm, will see him attempt to recreate his goal for Sunderland against Middlesbrough in 2005 with members of Martin Gray’s academy from Darlington.

* Jeremain Lens and Younes Kaboul are expected to make their first appearances in a Sunderland shirt as the club play their penultimate pre-season friendly at Doncaster Rovers tonight.

The duo, who completed moves from Dynamo Kiev and Tottenham respectively earlier this summer, travelled to Canada but did not take part in the final game of Sunderland’s North America tour against Toronto FC.

They should be involved at the Keepmoat Stadium tonight though, with Dick Advocaat admitting he will have to start solidifying his plans for the opening game of the Premier League season at Leicester City on August 8.