Discover this Weekend League Squad With Over 1,800 Premier League Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for the team Vets in a 6-2 triumph against Collegiate Old Boys on October 19th (left to right) - one player, another, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you enhance a outstanding veteran squad who have won back-to-back titles, including a league-cup double with 30 wins from 32 games?

Bring in a raft of former professionals who have played at the highest level of club football and international soccer as you target additional silverware.

A Greater Manchester team has an non-professional vets squad with 9 ex- Premier League players in their present squad.

222 Top Division Scores, 325 International Caps

Wythenshawe Vets Over 35s are based in southern Manchester and compete in the Cheshire-based Vets Division Premier Tier.

The roster this campaign features nine ex- top-flight players, with a combined nearly 1,800 top-flight matches.

The star-studded roster also boasts 222 Premier League goals and over 320 international appearances.

The squad feature Papiss Cisse, who netted thirty-seven scores in 117 games for Newcastle United after joining them for £9m from Bundesliga club Freiburg in 2012.

He made his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their last home-field game versus defending champions Collegiate Old Boys and scored every one of the six scores in a six-two win - featuring a half-hour first-half triple.

The roster for this campaign also features former professionals such as English and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former top-flight footballers have claimed 15 major trophies and moved for total transfer sums of about £123 million.

Famous Names and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned six Irish caps, scoring 4 scores

Stephen Ireland began turning out for the side during preseason this season through good mate and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then invited other former professionals, who all play in a midweek small-sided game, to participate.

Ex- Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 goals in 65 top-flight matches for Everton and even now attends their home games, also made his debut against Collegiate OB - who are based in the city and use an Blue warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

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

"After that he told me we were facing a side from Liverpool and the shock I had when I noticed them wearing Everton shirts - I thought this is wrong for me!

"When you still enjoy football and you know you can still do it, wherever you can play, what are you going to do?

"The spectators who come and see are happy and to make a day if they see us playing there and to pose us queries - it's more like the pleasure of us getting a place we can play, with structure of course."

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

"It's a bit unusual but then, I enjoy running and just move inside - I'm not defending that much," he added.

"I tell my defender 'I'm not hanging back' and that I'm just going to keep running.

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

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

Unreal Scenario

Along with Cisse's 6 goals on debut, Stephen Ireland has netted 8 in 3 appearances for the side, while George Boyd hit five on his first appearance and Lescott, a defender by position, notched a hat-trick in one game as a striker.

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

Paul Barrow, 38, who plays on the wing for Collegiate OB, came up against ex- Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his nine-year-old son who Emile Heskey was.

He has played at two global tournaments for Honduras, in addition to featuring in over two hundred top-flight games.

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

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

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

"We competed well for a solid 20 minutes but then we had a man dismissed and it was hard.

"We really haven't ceased talking about it - I was phoning my mum and brother on the journey home.

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

"Now we are eager for the second match."

We Will Still Take the Title'

Andy Kirby manages the Collegiate veterans team, who won the Premier Tier title last season, together with his co-manager.

"We scored 1-0 up and had a

Jeffery Sims
Jeffery Sims

A tech strategist with over a decade in digital innovation, specializing in AI integration and sustainable tech solutions.