Meet this Sunday League Club With Over 1,800 Top-Flight Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This substitutes for Wythenshawe Vets during a 6-2 triumph against Collegiate Old Boys on October 19th (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How do you enhance a outstanding veteran team that have secured back-to-back championships, featuring a league-cup double boasting thirty victories from 32 matches?

Sign a raft of former pro players that have performed at the highest tier of club and international soccer as you pursue more silverware.

A Manchester club fields an non-professional veterans team with 9 former Premier League footballers in their present lineup.

222 Premier League Scores, Three Hundred Twenty-Five International Caps

The team Veterans Over 35s are located in southern Manchester and play in the Cheshire Vets League Top Tier.

The lineup this season features nine former Premier League footballers, with a collective nearly 1,800 Premier League appearances.

The high-profile team also boasts 222 Premier League scores and 325 global appearances.

The squad include Papiss Cisse, who notched thirty-seven scores in 117 games for his former club after joining them for £9m from German league side Freiburg in January 2012.

He had his first appearance for the team in their most recent home match versus defending 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.

Wythenshawe's team for this season also features ex- pros such as England and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley winger George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former Premier League players have claimed 15 big honors and transferred for combined transfer sums of approximately £123m.

Well-Known Names and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned six Irish appearances, scoring 4 goals

Ireland started turning out for the side in pre-season this season through good mate and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland player then asked additional ex-pros, who all play in a midweek small-sided game, to participate.

Former Senegalese forward Niasse, who scored 12 goals in sixty-five Premier League matches for Everton and still attends their matches at Goodison Park, also made his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and use an Blue warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

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

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

"If you still enjoy the game and you know you can still play, anywhere you can play, what are you going to do?

"The people who turn up and watch are pleased and to make someone's moment if they see us competing there and to pose us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us having a place we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

Such is the bench strength at the club, he had his debut at full-back.

"That's a little different but then, I enjoy running and just go forward - I'm not defending that much," he said.

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa is turning out for Wythenshawe

'Surreal Feeling

In addition to the forward's 6 goals on his first game, Stephen Ireland has netted eight in 3 appearances for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd hit 5 on his debut appearance and Lescott, a centre-half by position, notched a triple in one game up front.

The team are leading of the Premier Tier with three wins from three and a GD of plus nineteen.

One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the flank for the opposition, faced ex- Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his young boy who Heskey was.

He has played at two global tournaments for his country, in addition to playing in over 200 Premier League games.

"The news was spreading like a rumor they had all these former top-flight stars," remarked Barrow.

"I think I was a bit starstruck playing against him to be honest.

"Even Emile [Heskey] came on and he's has 60-odd England caps.

"Our side competed well for a solid twenty mins but then we had a player dismissed and it was tough.

"We literally haven't stopped talking about it - I was phoning my mother and sibling on the journey home.

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

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

'We'll Still Win the Title'

The manager manages the opposition veterans team, who secured the Premier Division title last season, together with Paul Maguire.

"We went one-nil ahead and had a

Clifford Freeman
Clifford Freeman

A seasoned financial analyst with over 15 years of experience in investment banking and personal wealth management, specializing in UK markets.