Discover this Weekend League Squad Boasting Over 1,800 English Top Division Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for the team Veterans in a 6-2 victory versus their opponents on 19 October (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, another, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you enhance a excellent experienced side who have secured back-to-back titles, featuring a double triumph with thirty victories from 32 matches?

Bring in a collection of former pro players that have competed at the elite tier of club football and global football as you pursue additional honors.

A Manchester side has an amateur veterans squad with nine ex- Premier League footballers in their present squad.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Scores, Three Hundred Twenty-Five International Appearances

The team Veterans Over-35s are situated in southern Manchester and play in the Cheshire-based Vets League Premier Division.

Their squad list this campaign includes 9 ex- top-flight players, with a collective 1,801 Premier League appearances.

This star-studded roster also boasts over 220 top division goals and over 320 global appearances.

The squad include Papiss Cisse, who notched 37 goals in 117 appearances for Newcastle United after joining them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga club SC Freiburg in January 2012.

He made his first appearance for the team in their most recent home-field match against reigning champions Collegiate Old Boys and netted all six goals in a six-two victory - including a half-hour first-half triple.

Wythenshawe's squad for this season also features ex- pros such as English and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former top-flight footballers have secured fifteen significant trophies and moved for combined transfer sums of about £123m.

Household Figures and Global Players

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

Stephen Ireland began playing for the side during preseason this season through close friend and present Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland midfielder then invited additional former professionals, who all compete in a midweek small-sided match, to join in.

Ex- Senegal striker Oumar Niasse, who scored 12 goals in sixty-five top-flight games for the Toffees and even now goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also had his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Blue training kit as their strip.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
Oumar Niasse featured for Everton from 2016 and 2020

"My friend Stephen Ireland said 'come and play, it's enjoyable'," said Niasse.

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

"If you still love football and you know you can still do it, anywhere you can play, what are you going to choose?

"The people who come and watch are pleased and to give a moment if they see us playing there and to pose us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us getting a place we can play, with structure of course."

Such is the bench strength at the club, Niasse made his debut at full-back.

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

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa is playing for the team

Unreal Scenario

Along with the forward's 6 goals on his first game, Ireland has scored 8 in three appearances for the side, while Boyd hit five on his debut appearance and Lescott, a defender by position, scored a triple in one match up front.

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

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who features on the wing for Collegiate OB, faced ex- Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his young son who Heskey was.

He has played at 2 World Cups for Honduras, in addition to playing in more than 200 top-flight matches.

"The news was going round like wildfire they had these ex-Premier League stars," said Barrow.

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

"Even Emile [Heskey] got on and he's got 60-odd English caps.

"We held our own for a good 20 minutes but then we had a man sent off and it was hard.

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

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

"Now we are eager for the return fixture."

We Will Still Win the League'

Andy Kirby coaches the opposition veterans side, who secured the Top Tier championship last season, along with his co-manager.

"Our team scored 1-0 ahead and had a

Kathy Martin
Kathy Martin

Lena is a certified spinning instructor and fitness writer with over a decade of experience in cycling and wellness coaching.