Discover the Weekend Division Team With 1,800 Premier League Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for the team Veterans in a 6-2 win versus Collegiate Old Boys on 19 October (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How can you improve a excellent veteran side that have won consecutive championships, featuring a league-cup double with 30 victories from thirty-two matches?

Bring in a collection of ex- pro players who have competed at the top tier of club football and global football as you aim for additional honors.

One Greater Manchester club fields an amateur veterans team with nine ex- top-flight players in their active squad.

222 Top Division Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five Global Caps

The team Vets Over-35s are situated in south Manchester and play in the Cheshire Vets Division Top Tier.

The roster this campaign boasts nine former top-flight footballers, with a total nearly 1,800 top-flight appearances.

The high-profile roster also includes over 220 Premier League goals and over 320 international appearances.

The squad include Papiss Cisse, who scored thirty-seven goals in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after joining them for £9m from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in 2012.

He made his first appearance for the team in their last home game versus reigning title holders Collegiate Old Boys and scored every one of the six goals in a 6-2 victory - featuring a half-hour opening period hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's squad for this campaign also includes former pros such as England and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the ex- Premier League players have claimed fifteen significant trophies and moved for combined transfer sums of about £123m.

Well-Known Figures and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He won 6 Irish caps, netting 4 scores

Stephen Ireland began playing for the team during preseason this summer through close friend and current Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the former Irish player then invited additional former professionals, who all play in a midweek small-sided match, to join in.

Ex- Senegalese forward Oumar Niasse, who netted twelve scores in 65 top-flight matches for the Toffees and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also had his debut versus the opposition - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Blue warm-up gear as their uniform.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
He played for Everton from 2016 and 2020

"My friend Stephen Ireland told me 'join and have a game, it's good fun'," said the striker.

"After that he told me we were playing a team from the city and the shock I had when I noticed them sporting Blue shirts - I thought this is wrong for me!

"When you still love the game and you know you can still play, anywhere you can play, what are you going to do?

"The fans who turn up and see are pleased and to make someone's day if they see us playing there and to ask us queries - it's more like the joy of us getting somewhere we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

So great is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, he made his debut at full-back.

"That's a little different but then, I love running and just go inside - I'm not staying back that much," he said.

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa is playing for Wythenshawe

Dreamlike' Experience

Along with Cisse's 6 scores on his first game, Stephen Ireland has netted eight in 3 games for the side, while George Boyd scored 5 on his debut appearance and Lescott, a defender by trade, scored a hat-trick in one game as a striker.

Wythenshawe are top of the Premier Tier with 3 victories from three and a GD of +19.

One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the flank for Collegiate OB, faced ex- Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young boy who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at two global tournaments for Honduras, in as well as playing in more than 200 Premier League matches.

"It was going round like a rumor they had all these ex-Premier League players," remarked Barrow.

"I felt I was a little starstruck facing him to be honest.

"Also Heskey got on and he's got 60-odd English appearances.

"We held our own for a solid 20 mins but then we had a player sent off and it was tough.

"Our group really have not stopped chatting about it - I was phoning my mum and sibling on the way home.

"The opponents were all friendly, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a group of normal guys.

"Now we are eager for the return fixture."

'We'll Still Win the Title'

Andy Kirby manages the opposition veterans side, who won the Premier Tier title the previous campaign, together with his co-manager.

"We scored one-nil up and had a

Dr. Sheena Castro DVM
Dr. Sheena Castro DVM

Cloud architect with 10+ years of experience in designing scalable solutions.