Meet the Weekend League Team With Nearly Two Thousand English Top Division Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for the team Vets in a six-two victory versus Collegiate Old Boys on October 19th (left to right) - one player, another, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How do you improve a excellent veteran squad who have claimed consecutive championships, featuring a league-cup double with 30 wins from 32 games?

Recruit a group of ex- professionals that have competed at the highest tier of club and global soccer as you target further honors.

A Greater Manchester team boasts an amateur vets team with nine ex- top-flight footballers in their active squad.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five International Appearances

The team Vets Over 35s are based in south the city and compete in the Cheshire-based Veterans League Premier Tier.

The squad list this campaign features 9 former Premier League footballers, with a total over 1,800 top-flight matches.

The elite team also contains 222 Premier League scores and 325 international appearances.

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

Cisse had his debut for Wythenshawe in their most recent home-field game versus defending title holders their rivals and netted every one of the six goals in a six-two win - featuring a 32-minute first-half hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's team for this season also includes former pros such as England and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the ex- Premier League footballers have won 15 significant honors and moved for combined transfer sums of approximately £123 million.

Famous Figures and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He won 6 Irish appearances, scoring four goals

Ireland began playing for the team during preseason this summer through good mate and present team player Blake Norton, and the former Irish midfielder then asked other ex-pros, who all play in a midweek nine-a-side game, to participate.

Former Senegalese forward Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 goals in sixty-five top-flight matches for Everton and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also had his first appearance versus the opposition - who are located in the city and wear an Everton training kit as their strip.

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

"My mate Stephen told me 'come and play, it's enjoyable'," commented Niasse.

"After that he informed me we were playing a team from the city and the surprise I had when I noticed them wearing Blue kits - I thought this is wrong for me!

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

"The fans who turn up and see are pleased and to give someone's moment if they watch us competing there and to pose us questions - it's really about the joy of us getting a place we can play, with organisation of course."

Such is the strength in depth at the club, he had his debut at defender.

"That's a bit different but then, I love sprinting and just go inside - I'm not staying back that much," he said.

"I warn my defender 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to keep running.

"The running is what I'm looking for. It's good fun."

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

'Surreal Experience

In addition to the forward's six scores on debut, Ireland has netted 8 in 3 games for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd hit five on his debut match and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by trade, scored a hat-trick in one match up front.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Top Tier with 3 victories from 3 and a goal difference of +19.

One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the flank for Collegiate OB, came up against ex- Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his young son who Heskey was.

He has appeared at 2 World Cups for his country, in addition to featuring in over two hundred top-flight games.

"The news was going round like wildfire they had these former top-flight players," remarked Barrow.

"I felt I was a bit awestruck playing against Figueroa to be honest.

"Even Heskey got on and he's has 60-odd English appearances.

"Our side competed well for a solid twenty minutes but then we had a player sent off and it was hard.

"We literally have not ceased chatting about it - I was calling my mother and sibling on the way home.

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

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

We Will Still Win the Title'

The manager manages the Collegiate vets side, who secured the Premier Division title the previous campaign, together with his co-manager.

"We went one-nil ahead and had a

Megan Graham
Megan Graham

A seasoned journalist with a focus on digital innovation and economic trends, bringing over a decade of experience in UK media.