Sunderland legend Julio Arca has revealed he almost left the Black Cats for La Liga in the summer of 2003.
The Argentine midfielder established himself as a firm fans' favourite during his six seasons at the Stadium of Light after joining from Argentinos Juniors in the summer of 2000.
In his first season at the Stadium of Light, Arca helped Sunderland finish seventh in the Premier League for the second successive season under Peter Reid but just two years later the Black Cats were relegated.
Arca stayed at Sunderland and helped the club reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup in 2004 before winning the Championship title in 2005 to secure a return to the Premier League.
Arca would leave Sunderland to join Middlesbrough in 2006 following another Premier League relegation, but his contribution in restoring the Black Cats' Premier League status has not been forgotten.
However, the 39-year-old, who ended his career at South Shields, has revealed his Black Cats career almost ended three seasons early as he was offered a route to La Liga in 2003.
"People probably don't know about this," Arca told former Sunderland winger Matt Piper on his 'Positive Vibes' podcast.
"When we were relegated with Howard Wilkinson, I saw it as my time to leave.
"I had options from a few clubs in Spain, I could have gone. But for some reason I decided to stay.
"It was the best decision I ever made because we ended up winning the league and we reached the FA Cup semi-final."
