Miguel Linares Explained

Miguel Linares
Fullname:Miguel Linares Cólera
Birth Date:30 September 1982
Birth Place:Zaragoza, Spain
Position:Striker
Youthclubs1:Fuentes
Years1:2002–2004
Caps1:36
Goals1:30
Years2:2004–2005
Caps2:27
Goals2:2
Years3:2005
Caps3:14
Goals3:0
Years4:2006–2008
Caps4:73
Goals4:46
Years5:2008–2009
Caps5:31
Goals5:15
Years6:2009–2010
Caps6:39
Goals6:10
Years7:2010–2013
Caps7:48
Goals7:12
Years8:2013–2014
Caps8:38
Goals8:10
Years9:2014–2018
Caps9:131
Goals9:52
Years10:2018–2019
Caps10:18
Goals10:4
Years11:2019–2020
Caps11:35
Goals11:7
Years12:2020–2022
Caps12:0
Goals12:0
Totalcaps:490
Totalgoals:188

Miguel Linares Cólera (born 30 September 1982) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a striker.

Club career

Born in Zaragoza, Aragon, Linares began his career at Utebo FC of Tercera División. He spent the 2004–05 season with Deportivo Aragón in the Segunda División B and had a brief spell at SD Huesca before joining UD Barbastro in 2006, who were relegated from the third tier in his first campaign.

In summer 2008, following a 34-goal haul, Linares moved outside his native region for the first time, joining CD Alcoyano. He contributed 15 goals from 35 matches in his only season as the Valencians won their group, eventually falling short in the promotion play-offs to Segunda División.[1]

Linares signed a two-year deal with UD Salamanca on 22 June 2009.[2] After one season at the Estadio Helmántico – making his professional debut on 30 August in a 1–0 away win against Cádiz CF at the age of 26 years and 11 months[3] – he transferred to fellow league team Elche CF.[4] The latter won the championship and promotion to La Liga in 2013, though he made only eight appearances and scored once;[5] during his tenure, he suffered two consecutive anterior cruciate ligament injuries to his right knee.[6] [7]

Following this, Linares remained in the second tier with Recreativo de Huelva,[8] and in 2014 the 32-year-old moved to Real Oviedo one league down.[9] He was top scorer with 30 goals (31 across all competitions) in 39 games[10] [11] as the Asturians won the title in 2014–15, including two in a 3–0 win over Gimnàstic de Tarragona in the second leg of the play-off final on 10 June 2015.[12] The previous October/November, he had scored hat-tricks in consecutive home defeats of Celta de Vigo B, CD Lealtad and Real Murcia.[13]

On 17 June 2018, Linares joined CF Reus Deportiu in the second division after agreeing to a one-year contract.[14] Halfway through the season, however, he left the club after it was expelled from the Liga de Fútbol Profesional due to unpaid wages,[15] joining Real Zaragoza shortly after.[16]

Linares retired in January 2022 at the age of 39, after two years at lower-league side SD Ejea where he failed to play a single competitive game due to another serious knee injury.[17]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational CupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Zaragoza B2004–05Segunda División B27210282
Huesca2005–06Segunda División B14000140
Barbastro2006–07Segunda División B3510203710
2007–08Tercera División????
Total??2000??
Alcoyano2008–09Segunda División B311500403515
Salamanca2009–10Segunda División3910204110
Elche2010–11Segunda División24821269
2011–1216310173
2012–13810081
Total481231005113
Recreativo2031–14Segunda División3810123912
Oviedo2014–15Segunda División B362811324031
2015–16Segunda División24610256
2016–1735811369
2017–183610103710
Total13152423213856
Reus2018–19Segunda División18421205
Zaragoza2018–19Segunda División13200132
2019–202254120286
Total3574120418
Ejea2020–21Segunda División B000000
Career total416122187102444131

Honours

Elche

2012–13

Oviedo

2014–15

Notes and References

  1. News: El Cartagena asciende a Segunda y el Alcoyano se la jugará en la repesca (2–2). Cartagena promote to Segunda and Alcoyano to leave it all for play-offs (2–2). La Verdad. Carlos. Muñoz. es. 25 May 2009. 5 April 2018.
  2. News: El delantero Miguel Linares firma por el Salamanca. Forward Miguel Linares signs for Salamanca. Diario Información. es. 22 June 2009. 30 March 2018.
  3. News: El Salamanca saca provecho de su efectividad ante un poco acertado Cádiz. Salamanca profit from their efficiency against blank Cádiz. Marca. es. 30 August 2009. 5 April 2018.
  4. News: El Elche ficha al delantero Linares. Elche sign forward Linares. Marca. es. 22 August 2010. 30 March 2018.
  5. News: Digno broche a un año histórico. Competent icing on the cake to historical year. Marca. es. 8 June 2013. 5 April 2018.
  6. News: Linares sufre la rotura del ligamento cruzado y será baja hasta enero de 2012. Linares suffers cruciate ligament rupture and will be out until January 2012. Diario Información. Julián. Palomar. es. 22 February 2011. 5 April 2018.
  7. News: Linares, otra vez la misma lesión. Linares, same injury again. Las Provincias. Noé. Gomis. es. 21 March 2012. 5 April 2018.
  8. News: El Recreativo hace oficial el fichaje de Miguel Linares. Recreativo make the signing of Miguel Linares official. Marca. es. 8 July 2013. 30 March 2018.
  9. News: Linares se marcha al Oviedo. Linares goes to Oviedo. Marca. 30 June 2014. 30 March 2018.
  10. News: Miguel Linares hace sombra a Cristiano. Miguel Linares shadows Cristiano. Sport. Ulrich. Álvarez. es. 16 November 2014. 5 April 2018.
  11. News: Linares, un peregrino de la Virgen del Pilar en la delantera del Oviedo. Linares, a Virgen del Pilar pilgrim in Oviedo's forward line. Heraldo de Aragón. Raúl. Lahoz. es. 27 September 2017. 5 April 2018.
  12. Web site: Doblete de Linares para hacer campeón al Oviedo. Linares brace to make Oviedo champions. Huelva 24. es. 10 June 2015. 30 March 2018.
  13. Web site: Nadie puede con Linares. Nobody can handle Linares. El Desmarque. Chisco. García. es. 16 November 2014. 30 March 2018.
  14. Web site: Miguel Linares, primer fitxatge del CF Reus. Miguel Linares, first signing of CF Reus. CF Reus Deportiu. ca. 17 June 2018. 19 June 2018.
  15. Web site: Nota informativa. Informative note. La Liga. es. 18 January 2019. 5 February 2019.
  16. News: Casi todos los jugadores del Reus ya tienen equipo. Nearly all Reus players already have a team. Mundo Deportivo. Josep. Gallofré. es. 1 February 2019. 5 February 2019.
  17. News: Miguel Linares se retira. Miguel Linares retires. El Periódico de Aragón. Raquel. Machín. es. 10 January 2022. 19 May 2022.