Meet the Sunday League Club Boasting Nearly Two Thousand English Top Division Matches

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

How do you boost a outstanding experienced squad who have claimed back-to-back titles, including a league-cup double boasting 30 wins from thirty-two games?

Bring in a raft of ex- pro players that have played at the top level of club and international soccer as you target more silverware.

A Greater Manchester side has an non-professional vets squad with 9 former top-flight footballers in their active squad.

222 Premier League Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five Global Caps

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

Their lineup this campaign features nine ex- top-flight footballers, with a total nearly 1,800 Premier League games.

The high-profile team also boasts 222 top division scores and over 320 global appearances.

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

Cisse had his debut for Wythenshawe in their last home-field game versus defending title holders their rivals and scored every one of the six goals in a six-two win - featuring a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's team for this campaign also includes former pros such as English and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the former Premier League players have secured 15 major honors and transferred for combined transfer fees of around £123m.

Household Figures and International Players

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned six Irish appearances, scoring four scores

Stephen Ireland started playing for the team during pre-season this season through good mate and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland midfielder then asked other former professionals, who all compete in a weekly nine-a-side match, to join in.

Ex- Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse, who netted twelve scores in sixty-five top-flight matches for the Toffees and even now goes to their home games, also had his first appearance versus the opposition - who are based in the city and wear an Blue warm-up gear as their strip.

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

"My mate Stephen told me 'come and have a game, it's good fun'," said the striker.

"After that he told me we were playing a side from Liverpool and the shock I had when I saw them sporting Blue shirts - I say this is strange for me!

"When you still love football and you feel you can still do it, wherever you can play, what are you going to choose?

"Those people who turn up and see are happy and to give a day if they watch us competing there and to ask us questions - it's really about the pleasure of us getting somewhere we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

So great is the squad depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse made his debut at full-back.

"It's a bit different but then, I love sprinting and just move forward - I'm not staying back that much," he added.

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

"That running is what I'm looking for. It's enjoyable."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa is playing for the team

'Surreal Experience

Along with the forward's six goals on his first game, Ireland has scored eight in 3 games for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd hit 5 on his first match and Lescott, a defender by trade, notched a triple in one match up front.

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

One opponent, 38, who features on the flank for the opposition, faced former Wigan full-back Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his nine-year-old son who Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at 2 global tournaments for his country, in as well as playing in over 200 Premier League games.

"The news was going round like a rumor they had all these ex-Premier League stars," remarked Barrow.

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

"Even Emile [Heskey] came on and he's has over 60 England appearances.

"Our side competed well for a solid 20 mins but then we had a man sent off and it was tough.

"Our group literally haven't stopped chatting about it - I was calling my mum and sibling on the journey home.

"The opponents were all friendly, shaking our hands after the match - it was like facing a bunch of regular guys.

"Now we are eager for the return match."

We Will Still Take the League'

The manager manages the Collegiate veterans team, who won the Top Tier title last season, together with his co-manager.

"We went 1-0 up and had a

Austin Kim
Austin Kim

A tech enthusiast and gaming journalist with over a decade of experience covering industry trends and hardware innovations.