Introduce this Weekend Division Team Boasting Over 1,800 Premier League Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This substitutes for the team Veterans in a 6-2 win against their opponents on 19 October (left to right) - one player, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How can you enhance a excellent veteran side that have claimed back-to-back titles, including a double triumph with 30 wins from 32 games?

Sign a group of ex- pro players that have competed at the highest level of club football and international football as you pursue more honors.

A Manchester club has an non-professional vets squad with 9 former top-flight footballers in their current lineup.

222 Top Division Scores, 325 Global Caps

Wythenshawe Vets Over-35s are based in southern the city and compete in the Cheshire Veterans Division Top Division.

The lineup this season boasts nine ex- top-flight footballers, with a collective over 1,800 elite appearances.

This star-studded squad also contains 222 top division goals and 325 global appearances.

The squad feature Papiss Cisse, who notched thirty-seven scores in 117 appearances for Newcastle United after moving to them for £9m from German league club SC Freiburg in January 2012.

He had his debut for Wythenshawe in their most recent home-field game against reigning champions their rivals and scored all six goals in a six-two victory - including a 32-minute first-half triple.

Wythenshawe's roster for this campaign also includes former professionals such as English and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley winger George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the former Premier League players have claimed 15 big trophies and transferred for combined transfer fees of about £123m.

Household Names and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned 6 Republic of Ireland caps, netting 4 scores

Stephen Ireland started turning out for the side during preseason this season through good mate and current Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then asked additional former professionals, who all play in a weekly small-sided game, to participate.

Ex- Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse, who scored twelve scores in 65 top-flight games for the Toffees and still attends their home games, also had his first appearance against Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and wear an Everton warm-up gear as their strip.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
Oumar Niasse played for Everton between 2016 and 2020

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

"Then he informed me we were facing a side from the city and the shock I had when I noticed them sporting Everton shirts - I say this is wrong for me!

"If you still love football and you feel you can still play, wherever you can play, what are you going to do?

"The spectators who come and watch are happy and to make someone's day if they see us competing there and to ask us questions - it's really about the joy of us having a place we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

Such is the bench strength at Wythenshawe, he made his debut at defender.

"It's a bit unusual but then, I love running and just go inside - I'm not defending that much," he said.

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

"That movement is what I'm after. It's enjoyable."

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

Dreamlike' Feeling

Along with Cisse's 6 scores on debut, Stephen Ireland has netted eight in three appearances for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd hit 5 on his debut match and Joleon Lescott, a defender by trade, scored a hat-trick in one game as a striker.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Premier Tier with three wins from three and a goal difference of plus nineteen.

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who plays on the wing for Collegiate OB, faced former Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his young boy who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at 2 global tournaments for his country, in as well as playing in more than two hundred top-flight matches.

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

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

"Even Emile [Heskey] got on and he's has over 60 England caps.

"We competed well for a solid 20 mins but then we had a man dismissed and it was tough.

"Our group literally have not ceased chatting about it - I was calling my mum and brother on the way home.

"They were all really nice, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a bunch of regular guys.

"Now we are eager for the second match."

We Will Still Take the League'

Andy Kirby coaches the opposition vets side, who won the Top Tier title the previous campaign, together with Paul Maguire.

"We went one-nil ahead and had a

James Garcia
James Garcia

Financial analyst and writer with 10+ years in wealth management and fintech innovation.