Thanks to our friends at Marathon Bet, here are Julio Arca and George Boateng talking to Darlington chief executive David Johnston about the Marathonbet #NonLeagueChallenge Legends  game on July 29th.

https://www.nlc.marathonbet.co.uk/2018-winners

Former Sunderland and Middlesbrough midfielder Julio Arca and former Middlesbrough and Aston Villa midfielder George Boateng are the latest stars to be confirmed in the Marathon Bet Legends squad for the big match on Sunday 29^th July.

Julio was capped by Argentina Under 20s and Under 21s before he moved to England in order to play for Sunderland in 2000, and he went on to play 177 times for them in the Premiership and Championship, scoring 12 times. He won a Championship winners’ medal with them in season 2004-05.

He moved to Middlesbrough in the summer of 2005, and made 185 appearances for them, scoring 9 times, in the Premiership and Championship, until he retired from professional football in 2013.

After a brief spell out of the game, he joined South Shields in the Northern League, and helped them to three promotions.

George Boateng has huge experience in Dutch and English football.  He started his career at Feyenoord before moving to Coventry in 1998 for £220,000, and then shortly after to Aston Villa for £4.5 million, playing for them in the 2000 FA Cup final against Chelsea in 2000.

After making 135 appearances for Villa, he was transferred to Middlesbrough in 2002, and went on to play for them in the 2004 League Cup final and 2005 UEFA Cup final. He made 223 appearances for them in six seasons before going on to play for Hull City. He gained four caps for the Netherlands .