Discover the Weekend Division Club Boasting Over 1,800 Top-Flight Appearances

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

What do you boost a excellent veteran team who have secured back-to-back championships, including a league-cup double boasting 30 wins from 32 matches?

Bring in a collection of ex- pro players who have performed at the highest tier of club football and global football as you target further honors.

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

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Scores, 325 International Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets Over 35s are situated in south Manchester and compete in the Cheshire-based Veterans League Premier Division.

Their squad list this season includes nine ex- top-flight footballers, with a combined nearly 1,800 top-flight games.

This star-studded squad also contains 222 top division scores and over 320 global appearances.

They include Papiss Cisse, who scored thirty-seven scores in 117 appearances for his former club after joining them for nine million pounds from German league club Freiburg in 2012.

He had his debut for the team in their last home game versus defending title holders Collegiate Old Boys and netted all six goals in a six-two win - featuring a half-hour first-half hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's team for this campaign also features former pros such as England and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley winger George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former Premier League players have secured fifteen significant trophies and moved for combined transfer sums of approximately £123m.

Well-Known Names and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned six Irish appearances, netting four goals

Ireland started playing for the side in preseason this season through good mate and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then asked other ex-pros, who all play in a weekly nine-a-side match, to join in.

Ex- Senegal forward Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 goals in 65 Premier League games for the Toffees and still attends their home games, also made his first appearance against the opposition - who are based in Liverpool and use an Blue training kit as their strip.

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

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

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

"When you still love football and you know you can still play, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to choose?

"The spectators who come and watch are happy and to make a moment if they see us competing there and to pose us questions - it's more like the joy of us having somewhere we can play, with structure of course."

Such is the bench strength at Wythenshawe, he made his debut at defender.

"That's a bit different but then, I love running and just go inside - I'm not defending that much," he added.

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

"The movement is what I'm seeking. It's enjoyable."

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

Unreal Experience

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

The team are leading of the Premier Division with three wins from 3 and a goal difference of plus nineteen.

Paul Barrow, 38, who plays on the wing for Collegiate OB, came up against ex- Latics defender Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his nine-year-old boy who Emile Heskey was.

He has appeared at two World Cups for Honduras, in addition to playing in more than two hundred Premier League matches.

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

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

"Also Heskey got on and he's has over 60 England appearances.

"Our side competed well for a good twenty mins but then we had a player sent off and it was tough.

"We really haven't stopped chatting about it - I was phoning my mother and brother on the journey home.

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

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

We Will Still Win the Title'

Andy Kirby coaches the Collegiate veterans team, who secured the Premier Tier championship last season, together with Paul Maguire.

"We went one-nil ahead and had a

Daniel Thomas
Daniel Thomas

A former sports analyst turned betting expert, specializing in statistical models and market trends across European leagues.