Mickey Linden

Linden is from Mayobridge, County Down, is married and has three sons. ==Playing career==

Club Linden played club football for Mayobridge. He won the Down Senior Football Championship on eight occasions, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and was twice beaten finalist twice in the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship. Inter-county Minor & Under 21 Senior Linden made his Down Senior debut in Oct 1981. In 1991 he won his first Ulster Championship medal, with Down beating Donegal in the decider. Down defeated Kerry in the All-Ireland semi-final, before beating Meath in the All-Ireland final. The success was Down's first All-Ireland Senior Football Championship title since 1968. Linden won a second Ulster Championship medal with Down in 1994 - overcoming Tyrone comfortably in the decider. Victories over Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final and Dublin in the final gave Linden another All-Ireland Senior medal. For his performances that year he received an All Star award and named Texaco Footballer of the Year. Linden reached further Ulster finals with Down in 1996, 1999 and 2003. He retired from inter-county football in 2003. ==Honours==

Inter-county • 2 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 1991, 1994 • 2 Ulster Senior Football Championship 1991, 1994 • 1 Ulster Under-21 Football Championship 1984 • 1 National Football League Division 1 1983 • 2 National Football League Division 2 1982, 1988 • 1 National Football League Division 3 1997 Club • 7 Down Senior Football Championship 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 • 5 Down Senior Football League Division 1 1993, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004 • 1 Down Junior Football Championship 1981 • 1 Down Minor Football Championship 1980 • 1 Down Senior Football League Division 4 1980 • 1 Down Senior Football League Division 3 1981 • 1 Down Senior Football League Division 2 1990 Individual • 1 All Star 1994 • 1 Texaco Footballer of the Year 1994 • 1 Irish News Ulster All-Stars 1995 • In May 2020, the Irish Independent named Linden as one of the "dozens of brilliant players" who narrowly missed selection for its "Top 20 footballers in Ireland over the past 50 years". ==Athletics==

In 2009 Linden joined Dunleer Athletics Club, at the behest of former Tyrone footballer Patsy Forbes. Later that year at the age of 46 and six years after retiring from inter-county football - Linden added to his All-Ireland medal haul. In the 2009 Irish Over-45 Championships in Tullamore, Offaly he won two golds and a silver in the 45–50 category. He was first in both the 100 metres and long jump and finished runner-up in the 200 metres. ==References==