Discover the Weekend Division Club Featuring 1,800 English Top Division Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This substitutes for Wythenshawe Veterans during a six-two victory against their opponents on 19 October (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, another, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you boost a stellar veteran team that have won back-to-back titles, featuring a double triumph with thirty victories from thirty-two games?

Bring in a raft of former professionals that have performed at the elite tier of club and global football as you target additional honors.

A Manchester team has an amateur vets squad with nine ex- Premier League footballers in their present roster.

222 Premier League Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five International Appearances

Wythenshawe Veterans Over-35s are located in southern the city and compete in the Cheshire Vets League Premier Tier.

Their squad list this campaign includes nine former Premier League footballers, with a collective 1,801 elite appearances.

The star-studded team also boasts over 220 top division goals and 325 international caps.

The squad feature one forward, who notched thirty-seven goals in over 100 games for his former club after moving to them for nine million pounds from German league club Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse made his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their last home match versus defending champions Collegiate Old Boys and scored all six scores in a 6-2 win - including a half-hour opening period triple.

The team for this season also includes former pros such as England and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the former top-flight players have claimed fifteen big trophies and transferred for combined transfer sums of around £123m.

Famous Names and International Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned 6 Republic of Ireland caps, scoring four scores

Ireland began turning out for the team during preseason this season through close mate and present Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the former Irish player then asked other ex-pros, who all compete in a weekly nine-a-side match, to participate.

Former Senegal striker Niasse, who scored twelve goals in sixty-five Premier League games for the Toffees and even now attends their home games, also had his debut versus the opposition - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Blue warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

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

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

"When you still love football and you know you can still do it, anywhere you can kick a ball, 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 really about the pleasure of us having a place we can play, with structure of course."

So great is the bench strength at Wythenshawe, Niasse made his first game at full-back.

"That's a bit different but then, I enjoy running and just go forward - I'm not staying back that much," he added.

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa is playing for Wythenshawe

'Surreal Scenario

In addition to Cisse's 6 goals on his first game, Stephen Ireland has netted eight in 3 games for the side, while George Boyd hit five on his first appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a hat-trick in one game as a striker.

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

Paul Barrow, 38, who features on the flank for Collegiate OB, faced former Latics defender Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his nine-year-old boy who Emile Heskey was.

He has appeared at 2 global tournaments for Honduras, in addition to featuring in over 200 Premier League matches.

"It was spreading like wildfire they had these former top-flight stars," said Barrow.

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

"Also Heskey came on and he's got 60-odd England caps.

"Our side held our own for a good twenty mins but then we had a player dismissed and it was tough.

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

"They were all friendly, shaking our hands after the match - it was like facing a bunch of normal fellas.

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

'We'll Still Win the League'

Andy Kirby manages the Collegiate vets team, who won the Top Tier championship the previous campaign, together with his co-manager.

"Our team scored one-nil ahead and had a

Martha Roman
Martha Roman

A seasoned sports analyst with over a decade of experience in betting markets and statistical modeling.