Discover the Weekend Division Squad Boasting Nearly Two Thousand English Top Division Appearances

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

What do you boost a outstanding veteran side who have secured consecutive titles, featuring a league-cup double boasting 30 victories from thirty-two matches?

Bring in a group of ex- professionals who have competed at the elite level of club and global soccer as you aim for further honors.

A Greater Manchester team has an amateur vets squad with 9 former Premier League footballers in their active squad.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Scores, 325 Global Caps

Wythenshawe Vets Over 35s are situated in southern the city and compete in the Cheshire-based Vets League Top Tier.

The squad list this season includes 9 former top-flight players, with a collective nearly 1,800 Premier League games.

The star-studded team also includes over 220 top division scores and 325 international caps.

They feature one forward, who netted thirty-seven scores in over 100 games for his former club after moving to them for £9m from Bundesliga side Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse had his debut for the team in their most recent home match against defending champions Collegiate Old Boys and scored all six goals in a six-two victory - including a half-hour first-half hat-trick.

The team for this campaign also features former professionals such as England and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former top-flight footballers have won 15 significant trophies and transferred for combined transfer fees of about £123 million.

Well-Known Figures and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned six Irish appearances, scoring four scores

Stephen Ireland started playing for the team during pre-season this summer through good friend and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland player then asked other ex-pros, who all play in a midweek small-sided match, to join in.

Former Senegalese forward Niasse, who netted 12 goals in sixty-five Premier League matches for the Toffees and even now goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also had his first appearance against the opposition - who are located in the city and use an Blue training kit as their strip.

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

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

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

"When you still enjoy the game and you know you can still play, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to choose?

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

So great is the strength in depth at the club, Niasse had his debut at defender.

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

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is playing for Wythenshawe

Dreamlike' Experience

In addition to the forward's six goals on his first game, Ireland has netted eight in three appearances for the side, while George Boyd hit 5 on his first appearance and Joleon Lescott, a defender by trade, scored a triple in one game up front.

The team are top of the Top Tier with 3 victories from three and a GD of +19.

One opponent, 38, who features on the flank for the opposition, came up against ex- Wigan full-back Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his nine-year-old son who Emile Heskey was.

He has appeared at 2 World Cups for Honduras, in addition to featuring in more than two hundred Premier League games.

"The news was going round like a rumor they had all these former top-flight stars," said the player.

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

"Also Emile [Heskey] came on and he's got 60-odd England caps.

"We held our own for a solid twenty minutes but then we had a player dismissed and it was hard.

"Our group literally have not ceased talking about it - I was phoning my mother and brother on the way home.

"They were all friendly, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a group of normal fellas.

"Now we are eager for the second match."

'We'll Still Take the League'

The manager manages the opposition vets side, who secured the Premier Division championship the previous campaign, together with Paul Maguire.

"We scored 1-0 up and had a

Adam Knight
Adam Knight

A tech journalist and AI researcher passionate about demystifying complex innovations for a broader audience.