Introduce the Weekend Division Club Boasting Nearly Two Thousand Top-Flight Appearances

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

What can you improve a excellent experienced side that have secured back-to-back championships, including a double triumph with 30 victories from thirty-two games?

Bring in a group of former professionals that have competed at the top tier of club and international football as you target additional honors.

A Manchester side boasts an non-professional veterans team with nine ex- top-flight players in their active squad.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five Global Caps

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

Their roster this campaign features 9 former Premier League footballers, with a total nearly 1,800 elite games.

The star-studded squad also contains over 220 Premier League scores and over 320 international caps.

They include one forward, who scored 37 goals in 117 appearances for Newcastle United after moving to them for nine million pounds from German league side Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse made his first appearance for the team in their last home game versus reigning title holders Collegiate Old Boys and netted every one of the six scores in a 6-2 victory - featuring a half-hour first-half hat-trick.

The roster for this campaign also features ex- pros such as England and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley winger George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

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

Household Names and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He won 6 Republic of Ireland caps, netting four scores

Stephen Ireland began turning out for the side during preseason this summer through close friend and present Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish midfielder then asked other former professionals, who all compete in a weekly nine-a-side match, to join in.

Ex- Senegalese forward Oumar Niasse, who netted twelve goals in 65 Premier League matches for Everton and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also made his debut versus the opposition - who are located in the city and use an Everton training kit as their strip.

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

"A mate Stephen told me 'join and play, it's enjoyable'," commented the striker.

"Then he told me we were facing a side from Liverpool and the shock I had when I saw them wearing Everton kits - I say this is strange for me!

"When you still love the game and you know you can still play, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?

"The people who come and watch are pleased and to give someone's day if they watch us playing there and to pose us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us having somewhere we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

Such is the bench strength at Wythenshawe, Niasse had his debut at full-back.

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

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

"That running is what I'm seeking. It's good fun."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa is playing for Wythenshawe

Dreamlike' Experience

In addition to Cisse's six goals on his first game, Stephen Ireland has scored 8 in three appearances for Wythenshawe, while Boyd scored five on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by position, notched a hat-trick in one match as a striker.

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

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who features on the flank for Collegiate OB, faced former Latics defender Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young boy who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at 2 global tournaments for Honduras, in addition to featuring in over 200 top-flight matches.

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

"I felt I was a little starstruck playing against him to be honest.

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

"Our side held our own for a solid 20 mins but then we had a player sent off and it was tough.

"We really have not stopped chatting about it - I was calling my mother and brother on the journey home.

"The opponents 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 second match."

We Will Still Win the League'

The manager manages the Collegiate vets team, who won the Top Division title the previous campaign, along with Paul Maguire.

"Our team went one-nil up and had a

Laura Beard
Laura Beard

Tech journalist and startup enthusiast covering London's innovation ecosystem.