Julio Arca will excite Middlesbrough fans but not just with his talent - he's a "tough little bugger" too, says Colin Cooper. The Teessiders stalwart saw the Argentine ace at close hand when he spent a brief spell on loan at Sunderland two years ago. And after the Black Cats favourite sealed a £1.75 million, five-year move to Boro last week, Cooper said: "I think our fans will really take to Julio, even though he's come from Sunderland! "It's a great signing, I like Julio and I like his attitude. He'll excite the fans. He's a very very good footballer who's equally adept in any position down the left and what I also like about him, which Sunderland fans will know, is that he's a tough little bugger. "He's from just up the road and he's had glowing references from all the people I've spoken to - Kevin Ball, Mick McCarthy - and Gareth asked me what I thought of him from my time there. "He's been at Sunderland a long time and never failed to give his lot to the club but it's a good move for him, a fresh challenge and hopefully one that he rises to." Arca replaces Fulham-bound Franck Queudrue and while Cooper is disappointed by his departure, he has wished the Frenchman well. "I'm sad to see Franck go, I've had a really good relationship with him over the years, he's a smashing fella," said Cooper. "I like his approach to life and his approach to football. "He's never 100 per cent serious about anything, until he's on the football pitch. "He's never too high and never too down. "Towards the end of last season and through the summer he's expressed an interest in going, so what do you do? "Just because he's a likeable lad and the fans love him, if he asks to go it means he doesn't want to be here. "He feels he needs a new challenge, he wants one last stab to try and get in the French team and he feels he's better off and more in the public eye down in London and closer to France." Meanwhile, tickets are now on sale for Cooper's benefit match against Italian side Chievo at the Riverside on Saturday 12 August, which will raise funds for a number of local charities. Priced £10 for adults and £5 for under-16s and over-65s, they are available online at mfc.co.uk, through a 24-hour hotline on 0845 070 1575 and from the Riverside from Monday. | 
