Discover the Weekend Division Squad With 1,800 Top-Flight Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The substitutes for Wythenshawe Veterans during a 6-2 win against their opponents on October 19th (left to right) - one player, Papiss Cisse, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you improve a stellar experienced team who have claimed consecutive championships, including a double triumph with thirty wins from 32 matches?

Recruit a collection of former professionals who have competed at the elite level of club football and global soccer as you target further trophies.

One Manchester team boasts an amateur vets squad with 9 former top-flight players in their present roster.

222 Premier League Scores, 325 Global Caps

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

The lineup this campaign includes 9 ex- Premier League players, with a total nearly 1,800 Premier League appearances.

This high-profile team also boasts over 220 Premier League scores and over 320 global appearances.

They feature one forward, who notched 37 goals in over 100 games for Newcastle United after moving to them for £9m from German league side Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse had his debut for the team in their last home-field game against defending champions Collegiate Old Boys and scored every one of the six scores in a six-two victory - featuring a half-hour first-half triple.

Wythenshawe's team for this season also features ex- pros 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 top-flight championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the former Premier League footballers have won fifteen major honors and moved for combined transfer sums of approximately £123m.

Well-Known Names and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland won 6 Irish appearances, scoring 4 goals

Stephen Ireland started playing for the side in pre-season this season through good friend and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Irish midfielder then asked other ex-pros, who all play in a midweek small-sided match, to participate.

Ex- Senegal forward Niasse, who netted 12 scores in 65 top-flight games for Everton and even now goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also made his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are located in Liverpool and use an Blue warm-up gear as their strip.

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

"A mate Stephen Ireland said 'join and have a game, it's enjoyable'," said Niasse.

"Then he informed me we were playing a team from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I saw them sporting Blue kits - I thought this is strange for me!

"When you still enjoy the game and you feel you can still do it, wherever you can play, what are you going to choose?

"Those fans who come and see are pleased and to give someone's day if they watch us competing there and to ask us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us having somewhere we can play, with organisation of course."

Such is the strength in depth at the club, he had his debut at full-back.

"It's a little different but then, I love running and just move forward - I'm not defending that much," he added.

"I tell my defender 'I'm not hanging back' and that I'm just going to continue running.

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

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

'Surreal Feeling

In addition to Cisse's six goals on his first game, Stephen Ireland has scored 8 in three games for the side, while George Boyd scored five on his debut match and Lescott, a defender by trade, scored a triple in one match as a striker.

The team are leading of the Top Division with 3 victories from three and a goal difference of plus nineteen.

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who plays on the flank for Collegiate OB, came up against former Wigan defender Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his young boy who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at two global tournaments for Honduras, in as well as playing in over 200 top-flight games.

"It was going round like wildfire they had all these former top-flight players," said Barrow.

"I felt I was a little awestruck facing Figueroa to be honest.

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

"We held our own for a solid twenty minutes but then we had a man sent off and it was hard.

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

"The opponents were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a bunch of regular fellas.

"Now we can't wait for the second match."

'We'll Still Take the League'

Andy Kirby coaches the Collegiate vets side, who won the Premier Division title last season, along with Paul Maguire.

"We went 1-0 ahead and had a

Nicole Frey
Nicole Frey

A seasoned betting analyst with over a decade of experience in online gaming, dedicated to helping players make informed decisions.