Introduce this Weekend Division Club Boasting 1,800 Premier League Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This substitutes for Wythenshawe Vets during a 6-2 victory versus their opponents on October 19th (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you enhance a excellent experienced squad that have won consecutive titles, featuring a league-cup double boasting 30 victories from thirty-two games?

Sign a group of ex- pro players that have performed at the top level of club football and global football as you target additional honors.

A Greater Manchester side has an non-professional veterans team with 9 former top-flight players in their active squad.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Scores, 325 International Appearances

Wythenshawe Veterans Over-35s are located in southern the city and compete in the Cheshire-based Veterans League Top Division.

The lineup this season includes nine former Premier League footballers, with a combined nearly 1,800 Premier League appearances.

The star-studded roster also includes over 220 top division goals and 325 international appearances.

The squad feature one forward, who netted 37 goals in 117 games for Newcastle United after signing for them for nine million pounds from German league side Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse had his debut for the team in their last home-field game against defending title holders Collegiate Old Boys and scored every one of the six goals in a six-two win - featuring a half-hour opening period hat-trick.

The team for this campaign also includes ex- pros such as England and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the former Premier League players have secured fifteen significant honors and transferred for combined transfer sums of around £123m.

Well-Known Figures and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He won 6 Republic of Ireland appearances, netting 4 goals

Ireland began playing for the side during preseason this season through good mate and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish player then invited additional ex-pros, who all play in a weekly small-sided match, to join in.

Former Senegalese forward Niasse, who netted 12 scores in sixty-five Premier League games for the Toffees and even now goes to their home games, also made his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Blue warm-up gear as their strip.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
He played for the club between 2016 and 2020

"My friend Stephen said 'join and play, it's good fun'," said Niasse.

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

"If you still love football and you feel you can still do it, anywhere you can kick a ball, what are you going to choose?

"Those fans who turn up and watch are happy and to give someone's moment if they see us competing there and to ask us questions - it's really about the joy of us getting somewhere we can play, with structure of course."

Such is the squad depth at Wythenshawe, he made his debut at defender.

"It's a little different but then, I enjoy sprinting and just go inside - I'm not defending that much," he said.

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

"The running is what I'm seeking. It's good fun."

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

'Surreal Feeling

In addition to Cisse's six scores on debut, Stephen Ireland has netted eight in 3 appearances for the side, while George Boyd hit five on his first appearance and Lescott, a defender by position, notched a triple in one game as a striker.

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

Paul Barrow, 38, who features on the flank for the opposition, came up against former Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his nine-year-old boy who Heskey was.

He has appeared at 2 global tournaments for Honduras, in addition to playing in over 200 Premier League games.

"The news was spreading like wildfire they had all these former top-flight players," said the player.

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

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

"We competed well for a solid 20 minutes but then we had a man sent off and it was tough.

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

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

"Now we are eager for the return match."

'We'll Still Win the League'

The manager manages the opposition vets side, who won the Top Tier championship last season, along with his co-manager.

"Our team went 1-0 up and had a

Alice Knight
Alice Knight

A seasoned iOS developer passionate about sharing Swift tips and guiding developers through complex coding challenges.