Introduce this Sunday League Squad With 1,800 Top-Flight Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for Wythenshawe Veterans in a 6-2 triumph 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

What do you enhance a stellar experienced team who have secured back-to-back championships, featuring a league-cup double boasting thirty victories from thirty-two matches?

Sign a raft of ex- pro players that have competed at the top level of club football and international soccer as you pursue additional trophies.

A Manchester side boasts an non-professional veterans team with nine former Premier League footballers in their current lineup.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Goals, 325 Global Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets Over 35s are situated in south Manchester and play in the Cheshire Vets Division Top Division.

The squad list this season features nine ex- Premier League footballers, with a total nearly 1,800 top-flight matches.

This high-profile team also boasts over 220 top division goals and 325 international appearances.

The squad include one forward, who netted thirty-seven scores in 117 games for his former club after signing for them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga club Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse had his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their last home game versus reigning champions their rivals and netted all six goals in a six-two victory - featuring a half-hour opening period hat-trick.

The roster for this campaign also features former professionals such as England and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the ex- Premier League footballers have won 15 major honors and transferred for total transfer sums of around £123 million.

Well-Known Names and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland won 6 Republic of Ireland appearances, netting four scores

Ireland began turning out for the team in pre-season this summer through good friend and current team player Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland midfielder then asked other ex-pros, who all play in a midweek small-sided match, to join in.

Ex- Senegalese forward Niasse, who netted 12 goals in sixty-five Premier League matches for the Toffees and still attends their home games, also made his first appearance against the opposition - who are based in Liverpool and wear an Blue warm-up gear as their strip.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
Oumar Niasse played for Everton between 2016 and 2020

"A friend Stephen Ireland said 'join and play, it's enjoyable'," commented the striker.

"Then he told me we were facing a team from the city and the shock I had when I noticed them wearing Blue kits - I thought this is wrong for me!

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

"The people who come and see are pleased and to make someone's moment if they watch us competing there and to ask us queries - it's really about the joy of us having a place we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

So great is the bench strength at the club, he made his first game at defender.

"It's a bit unusual but then, I enjoy running and just go forward - I'm not staying back that much," he added.

"I warn 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
Ex- Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa is turning out for the team

Unreal Scenario

Along with the forward's six scores on his first game, Stephen Ireland has netted 8 in 3 games for the side, while Boyd scored five on his debut match and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by trade, scored a hat-trick in one match up front.

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

Paul Barrow, 38, who plays on the flank for the opposition, came up against former Wigan defender Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young boy who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at two global tournaments for his country, in as well as playing in over 200 Premier League matches.

"The news was going round like wildfire they had these ex-Premier League stars," said the player.

"I felt I was a bit awestruck facing Figueroa to be honest.

"Even Emile [Heskey] got on and he's got over 60 England caps.

"We held our own for a solid twenty minutes but then we had a player dismissed and it was hard.

"Our group really haven't stopped talking about it - I was phoning my mother and brother on the way home.

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

"Now we are eager for the return fixture."

'We'll Still Win the Title'

The manager manages the Collegiate veterans side, who secured the Top Division championship the previous campaign, together with Paul Maguire.

"We went 1-0 up and had a

Amy Crawford
Amy Crawford

Elara Vance is a digital strategist with over a decade of experience in tech journalism and online content creation.