Meet the Weekend Division Club Boasting 1,800 English Top Division Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This substitutes for Wythenshawe Vets during a six-two win against Collegiate Old Boys on October 19th (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you enhance a outstanding experienced side that have won consecutive titles, featuring a double triumph boasting thirty victories from thirty-two matches?

Recruit a group of ex- professionals who have competed at the highest tier of club football and international soccer as you pursue additional honors.

One Greater Manchester side has an non-professional veterans squad with nine former Premier League players in their present squad.

222 Premier League Scores, Three Hundred Twenty-Five Global Caps

The team Vets Over 35s are situated in southern Manchester and compete in the Cheshire-based Veterans League Premier Division.

The roster this season boasts nine former Premier League footballers, with a total nearly 1,800 elite games.

This elite team also includes over 220 top division goals and 325 international caps.

The squad feature one forward, who scored thirty-seven scores in over 100 appearances for his former club after signing for them for £9m from German league club Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse made his debut for Wythenshawe in their most recent home-field game versus reigning champions Collegiate Old Boys and scored every one of the six goals in a six-two victory - featuring a 32-minute first-half triple.

Wythenshawe's team for this campaign also features former professionals such as England and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley winger George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the ex- Premier League players have won fifteen significant honors and transferred for total transfer fees of approximately £123 million.

Famous Names and International Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He won six Irish caps, netting four scores

Ireland began turning out for the side in pre-season this season through good mate and current Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish midfielder then invited additional former professionals, who all play in a midweek small-sided game, to participate.

Former Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse, who scored twelve scores in sixty-five Premier League games for Everton and still attends their matches at Goodison Park, also had his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are based in Liverpool and use an Blue training kit as their uniform.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
Oumar Niasse featured for the club between 2016 and 2020

"A friend Stephen Ireland told me 'join and play, it's a laugh'," said the striker.

"Then he informed me we were facing a team from the city and the shock I had when I noticed them wearing Everton shirts - I thought this is strange for me!

"If you still enjoy football and you feel you can still do it, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?

"The spectators who turn up and watch are happy and to give a day if they see us competing there and to pose us queries - it's more like the pleasure of us getting somewhere we can play, with structure of course."

Such is the strength in depth at the club, he made his debut at defender.

"It's a bit unusual but then, I love running and just go forward - I'm not staying back that much," he added.

"I warn my centre-back 'I'm not hanging back' and that I'm just going to continue running.

"The movement is what I'm seeking. It's good fun."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa is turning out for the team

Unreal Feeling

Along with the forward's 6 goals on debut, Ireland has netted eight in 3 games for Wythenshawe, while Boyd scored five on his first appearance and Lescott, a defender by position, notched a triple in one match up front.

The team are top of the Top Division with 3 wins from three and a goal difference of +19.

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who plays on the wing for Collegiate OB, came up against ex- Latics full-back Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his young boy who Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at 2 global tournaments for his country, in addition to featuring in more than two hundred top-flight games.

"It was spreading like wildfire they had these ex-Premier League players," said the player.

"I think I was a bit starstruck facing Figueroa to be honest.

"Even Heskey came on and he's got over 60 England caps.

"We held our own for a good 20 minutes but then we had a man dismissed and it was hard.

"We literally have not ceased talking about it - I was phoning my mum and sibling on the way home.

"The opponents were all really nice, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a group of normal guys.

"Now we are eager for the return match."

'We'll Still Take the League'

The manager coaches the opposition veterans side, who won the Premier Tier title the previous campaign, together with Paul Maguire.

"We went 1-0 up and had a

Sandra Walton
Sandra Walton

Award-winning journalist with over 15 years of experience covering international affairs and technology innovation.