The 24-year-old Egyptian collected his second goal in as many games for his new club to set the stage for Arca to snatch a point 10 minutes from time after the visitors twice took the lead at the Riverside Stadium.

Mido had not started a game since April when he arrived at Boro from Tottenham, but has already made a major impact both on and off the field, and the Argentinian is confident there is much more to come.

He said: "He is going to be even better as the games go on because he has not played for a while.

"But even then, he has shown how good he is. He is going to get more pace and more confidence and then people will start to realise how good he is going to be for us."

Mido was booked for celebrating his 28th-minute goal rather too enthusiastically in front of the away fans who tormented him throughout, but manager Gareth Southgate was delighted with his contribution.

The former Ajax, Marseille and Roma frontman has shown early signs that he can take over the mantle vacated by Mark Viduka when he defected to St James' Park at the end of last season.

Southgate said: "They are different characters and different types of player. We loved having Mark, but that chapter has closed now in our book.

"Mido is the future and so are the other players we have brought in.

"He has already been a bit of a talisman for us, not only scoring the two in two, which is the perfect start for any striker, but his response in the dressing room, the way he has got the rest of the team fighting."

But if Mido got Boro's recovery underway after Charles N'Zogbia had fired the Magpies ahead with 22 minutes gone with a superb long-range strike, it was Arca who ensured honours remained even with an 80th-minute equaliser.

On a good day for players targeted by the opposing fans, the former Sunderland star made it 2-2 after Viduka had claimed his first goal for his new club three minutes earlier.

The 26-year-old South American said: "I was delighted after all the Newcastle fans were shouting at me. They remember me from when I used to play at Sunderland and I was obviously happy to score a goal.

"I want to score many more, but I am delighted that we got a point by that goal.

"It was a good to get a point near the end. We created a couple of chances at the end - they were a bit tired then and we kept on going.

"We try to never give up and we are responding well. We were maybe unlucky not to score again, but a point was fair for both teams."

Arca's future has been the subject of speculation this summer with his former club rumoured to be ready to offer $12million to take him back to the Stadium of Light a little more than a year after his departure.

However, he insists he has heard nothing and is happy where he is.

Arca said: "It is all rumours, I know as much as them. No-one has contacted me, so from my point of view, it is all rumours.

"I will be delighted to stay here, but I cannot say what is going on because I do not know."

Even if Roy Keane was to offer him the chance to head back up the A19, Southgate would have something to say about it.

The manager said: "Julio has proved over the last six or eight months what a crucial figure he is for us.

"I know he and Fabio Rochemback enjoy playing together in the middle of that midfield.

"They are both good footballers and we have got players who can win us matches right throughout the team now, and that's a very important thing.

"He is a super pro and a really lovely lad."