Andy Linighan
FullnameAndrew Linighan[1]
Birth date18 June 1962 (age 64)
Birth placeHartlepool, England
Height1.88m[2]
PositionDefender
Youthyears 11979–1980
Youthclubs 1Smith's Dock
Years 11980–1984
Years 21984–1986
Years 31986–1988
Years 41988–1990
Years 51990–1997
Years 61997–2000
Years 71998–1999
Years 82000–2001
Years 92001
Clubs 1Hartlepool United
Clubs 2Leeds United
Clubs 3Oldham Athletic
Clubs 4Norwich City
Clubs 5Arsenal
Clubs 6Crystal Palace
Clubs 7→ Queen's Park Rangers (loan)
Clubs 8Oxford United
Clubs 9St Albans City
Caps 1110
Caps 266
Caps 387
Caps 474
Caps 5119
Caps 6111
Caps 77
Caps 813
Caps 94
Goals 14
Goals 23
Goals 36
Goals 46
Goals 55
Goals 65
Goals 70
Goals 80
Goals 90
Totalcaps591
Totalgoals42
Nationalyears 11989-90
Nationalteam 1England B
Nationalcaps 14
Nationalgoals 10

Andrew Linighan (born 18 June 1962) is an English former professional footballer who played as a defender from 1980 until 2000, notably in the Premier League for Arsenal and Crystal Palace.

He also played in the Football League for Hartlepool United, Leeds United, Oldham Athletic, Norwich City, Queens Park Rangers and Oxford United before finishing his career with Non-league St Albans City.

Career

Linighan was born in Hartlepool into a footballing family: his father, Brian Linighan, and his brothers David and Brian were also professional footballers.[3] He first played for his local side, Hartlepool United, before he signed for Leeds United in 1984.[4] He spent two season at Elland Road, being part of the team which narrowly missed out on promotion to the First Division in his first season there and then signed for Oldham Athletic.[5]

In March 1988, a 25-year-old Linighan finally arrived on the First Division scene when Oldham sold him to Norwich City for £350,000. A tall, imposing centre back, Linighan became notable for his calm performances in defence for Norwich, who finished fourth in the league and reached the FA Cup semi finals in his first full season with them.

He was then signed by George Graham for Arsenal in a £1.2 million deal in July 1990.[6] Linighan had been very reluctant to leave Norwich, but was told by then-chairman Robert Chase that he was being sold.[7]

Linighan mainly played as backup to England international defenders Tony Adams and Steve Bould in his first season, in which Arsenal won the First Division.[6] Linighan managed to put in 10 league appearances, which were enough for him to earn a winners medal.[6] His biggest moment for the club came at the end of the 1992–93 season. Linighan was victorious as he lifted the League Cup as Arsenal beat Sheffield Wednesday 2–1 in the final at Wembley.[6] Arsenal again met Wednesday of whom they faced in the final of the FA Cup. The final finished 1–1, forcing a replay, which finished a goal apiece after 90 minutes and thus went to extra time. With 119 minutes gone, Linighan, who was suffering from a broken nose after Mark Bright had struck him in the face with his elbow, came up for a corner and headed in the winner.[6] Coincidentally it was Bright who Linighan outjumped to score.[7] Thanks to his goal, Arsenal became the first club in English football to win the Cup Double.[7] His former club, Norwich City, qualified for the UEFA Cup as a result of his FA Cup final winning goal, as it meant the European place for the League Cup winner went to the team who had finished third in the Premier League instead.[8]

By then, Linighan's place in the Arsenal side was further in doubt, as Martin Keown was no longer cup-tied after signing for the club earlier that year.[6] Despite this, he stayed on at the club as fourth-choice centre-back. A highlight in his later years at Arsenal was scoring a late equaliser in a 2–2 draw away at Aston Villa in September 1996.[9]

After more than six years at Highbury, he was sold to Division One promotion chasers Crystal Palace for £110,000 in January 1997.[5] He helped Palace as they won promotion to the Premiership that year as playoff winners.[10] Linighan also in that year became the captain of the Eagles, but was unable to prevent them from being relegated straight back to Division One.[5] He stuck with Palace during the club's financial problems, even after they were forced to loan him to Queens Park Rangers for the final stages of the 1998–99 season to reduce their wage bill.[5] Linighan returned to the club after his loan spell as captain, and in his 38th year was voted as Crystal Palace's Player of the Year in 1999–2000.[11] After a falling out with new owner Simon Jordan, he was given a free transfer in the autumn of 2000.[8]

Linighan saw out the rest of the season with Oxford United, which ended in disappointment as United were relegated to the Division Three.[5] Afterwards he briefly played for non-league St Albans, before retiring completely from the game.[8]

Personal life

After his playing days came to an end, Linighan became the owner of a plumbing company.[12]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupEuropeOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Hartlepool United1980–81[13]Fourth Division600000――60
1981–82[13]1703020―3[a]0250
1982–83[13]4533041―1[a]0534
1983–84[13]4212020―1[a]1472
Total11048081―511316
Leeds United1984–85[14]Second Division4221030――462
1985–86[14]2411031―2[b]0302
Total6632061―20764
Norwich???
Arsenal1990–91[2]First Division1004000――140
1991–92[2]17000202[c]1―221
1992–93[2]Premier League2127141――324
1993–94[2]21000402[d]01[e]0280
1994–95[2]20220203[d]0―272
1995–96[2]1801020――210
1996–97[2]11100002[f]0―131
Total119514114191101578
Crystal Palace1996–97[15]First Division19200――3[g]0222
1997–98[16]Premier League2603020――310
1998–99[17]First Division2001030――240
1999-00[18]4531020――483
2000–01[19]10―21――31
Total11155091―301285
Queens Park Rangers (loan)1998–99[17]First Division70――――70
Oxford United2000–01[19]Second Division13020――00150
St Albans City2001–02[20]Isthmian League Premier Division40――――40
Career total430173113749111151824
  1. ^ Appearances in Football League Trophy
  2. ^ Appearances in Full Members' Cup
  3. ^ Appearances in UEFA European Cup/UEFA Champions League
  4. ^ Appearances in UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
  5. ^ Appearance in FA Charity Shield
  6. ^ Appearances in UEFA Cup
  7. ^ Appearances in Football League First Division play-offs

Honours

Arsenal

Crystal Palace

Individual

References

  1. ^
  2. ^ "Andy Linighan". 11v11.com. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  3. ^ "New season will begin again minus a Linighan". The Northern Echo. 11 May 2001. Archived from the original on 1 July 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  4. ^
  5. ^ "Leeds United F.C. History". www.ozwhitelufc.net.au. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  6. ^ "Andy Linighan". Arsenal.com. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  7. ^ "Leeds United: My Whites playing days – Linighan INTERVIEW". www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  8. ^ "Flown From the Nest – Andy Linighan". www.ex-canaries.co.uk. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  9. ^ "Ruffled Villa hit panic button". The Independent. 9 September 1996. Archived 7 May 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  10. ^ "Football: Hopkin's late hit has Palace glad all over". The Independent. 27 May 1997. Archived 7 May 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  11. ^ "Crystal Palace FC – Player of the Year Winners". www.cpfc.co.uk. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  12. ^ "Victoria Plumber"
  13. ^ "In The Mad Crowd". www.inthemadcrowd.co.uk. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  14. ^ "Leeds United F.C. History". www.ozwhitelufc.net.au. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  15. ^
  16. ^
  17. ^
  18. ^
  19. ^
  20. ^ "St Albans City F.C. Statistics". saintsstatistics.co.uk. Retrieved 30 September 2019.