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

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

What do you enhance a excellent experienced squad that have secured consecutive championships, featuring a league-cup double with 30 wins from thirty-two matches?

Bring in a collection of former professionals that have played at the elite tier of club and international soccer as you target more trophies.

A Greater Manchester team fields an non-professional veterans team with nine ex- Premier League players in their active roster.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Scores, Three Hundred Twenty-Five Global Caps

Wythenshawe Vets Over-35s are located in southern the city and play in the Cheshire-based Vets League Premier Division.

Their squad list this campaign boasts nine ex- Premier League players, with a combined over 1,800 elite games.

This elite squad also boasts over 220 top division goals and over 320 global appearances.

They feature Papiss Cisse, who netted thirty-seven goals in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after moving to them for £9m from German league side Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse had his debut for the team in their last home-field game against reigning champions Collegiate Old Boys and scored every one of the six scores in a six-two win - including a half-hour opening period hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's roster for this campaign also includes former pros such as England and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley winger George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former top-flight players have secured 15 major honors and moved for total transfer sums of around £123 million.

Famous Names and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland won six Irish caps, scoring four goals

Stephen Ireland started playing for the team during pre-season this summer through good friend and present team player Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland midfielder then invited other former professionals, who all compete in a midweek small-sided match, to join in.

Former Senegal striker Niasse, who scored 12 goals in 65 top-flight matches for Everton and even now goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also had his first appearance against Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and wear an Blue training kit as their uniform.

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

"A friend Stephen said 'come and play, it's enjoyable'," said Niasse.

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

"If you still enjoy football and you know you can still play, anywhere you can kick a ball, what are you going to choose?

"The fans who come and watch are happy and to make a day if they see us playing there and to ask us queries - it's really about the pleasure of us having somewhere we can play, with organisation of course."

Such is the bench strength at the club, Niasse made his debut at defender.

"It's a bit unusual but then, I love sprinting and just move 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 attacking.

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

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

Unreal Feeling

In addition to the forward's 6 scores on debut, Ireland has scored eight in 3 appearances for the side, while George Boyd hit 5 on his first appearance and Joleon Lescott, a defender by position, scored a hat-trick in one game as a striker.

Wythenshawe are top of the Premier Division with three wins from 3 and a GD of +19.

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

He has appeared at two global tournaments for his country, in as well as playing in more than 200 Premier League matches.

"The news was going round like wildfire they had all these ex-Premier League players," said Barrow.

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

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

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

"Our group really have not ceased chatting about it - I was calling my mother and sibling on the journey home.

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

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

'We'll Still Win the League'

The manager coaches the opposition vets side, who won the Top Division championship last season, together with his co-manager.

"We went 1-0 ahead and had a

Juan Moore
Juan Moore

Arjun Patel is a seasoned technology consultant with over 15 years of experience in digital strategy and enterprise solutions across the UK and Europe.