Meet this Sunday League Squad Featuring 1,800 Premier League Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for the team Vets in a six-two victory against Collegiate Old Boys on October 19th (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How do you improve a outstanding veteran team who have secured consecutive championships, including a league-cup double with 30 victories from 32 matches?

Recruit a collection of former pro players that have performed at the highest tier of club and global soccer as you target further trophies.

One Greater Manchester team fields an non-professional vets squad with 9 ex- Premier League footballers in their current lineup.

222 Top Division Scores, Three Hundred Twenty-Five International Caps

The team Veterans Over-35s are located in south the city and play in the Cheshire-based Vets League Top Tier.

Their squad list this campaign includes nine former top-flight footballers, with a collective 1,801 elite appearances.

This high-profile squad also contains over 220 Premier League goals and over 320 global caps.

They feature one forward, who netted thirty-seven scores in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after signing for them for £9m from German league side Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse made his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their last home-field match against defending title holders their rivals and scored every one of the six scores in a six-two victory - featuring a 32-minute first-half hat-trick.

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

In total, the ex- top-flight players have claimed fifteen major trophies and moved for combined transfer fees of approximately £123m.

Famous Figures and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned six Irish caps, netting four goals

Ireland started turning out for the team during preseason this summer through good mate and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Irish midfielder then asked other ex-pros, who all compete in a weekly small-sided game, to participate.

Former Senegalese forward Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 scores in 65 top-flight games for Everton and even now goes to their home games, also had his debut against Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and use an Blue training kit as their uniform.

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

"A mate Stephen Ireland said 'join and play, it's enjoyable'," said the striker.

"Then he informed me we were playing a side from the city and the surprise I had when I saw them wearing Blue shirts - I say this is wrong for me!

"When you still love football and you know you can still play, wherever you can play, what are you going to choose?

"The fans who turn up and see are pleased and to give someone's moment if they see us playing there and to pose us queries - it's really about the pleasure of us having somewhere we can play, with structure of course."

Such is the bench strength at Wythenshawe, he had his first game at defender.

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

"I tell my defender 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to keep attacking.

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa is playing for the team

Unreal Scenario

Along with Cisse's six goals on debut, Ireland has netted 8 in three games for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd hit five on his debut match and Joleon Lescott, a defender by position, notched a triple in one match up front.

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

Paul Barrow, 38, who features on the wing for Collegiate OB, came up against former Latics full-back Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his nine-year-old son who Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at two World Cups for Honduras, in as well as featuring in more than two hundred Premier League games.

"It was going round like a rumor they had these ex-Premier League stars," remarked the player.

"I think I was a little awestruck facing him to be honest.

"Even Heskey got on and he's got 60-odd England caps.

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

"We literally haven't ceased chatting about it - I was phoning my mum and brother on the journey home.

"The opponents were all friendly, shaking our hands after the match - it was like facing a bunch of normal fellas.

"Now we can't wait for the return fixture."

'We'll Still Take the Title'

Andy Kirby manages the Collegiate veterans side, who won the Premier Division championship last season, along with his co-manager.

"Our team went 1-0 ahead and had a

Rachel Spencer
Rachel Spencer

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