Introduce this Weekend League Squad Featuring 1,800 Top-Flight Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for the team Veterans during a 6-2 triumph against their opponents on October 19th (from left to right) - one player, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you boost a outstanding experienced side that have claimed consecutive championships, including a double triumph boasting thirty wins from 32 games?

Recruit a raft of former pro players who have played at the highest tier of club football and international football as you pursue further silverware.

One Manchester side fields an amateur vets team with nine former Premier League players in their active roster.

222 Top Division Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five International Caps

The team Veterans Over 35s are located in south the city and compete in the Cheshire Vets League Top Tier.

Their squad list this season boasts 9 former Premier League players, with a total 1,801 Premier League games.

This star-studded team also boasts over 220 Premier League goals and over 320 global caps.

They include Papiss Cisse, who scored thirty-seven goals in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after moving to them for nine million pounds from German league side Freiburg in January 2012.

He had his debut for the team in their most recent home game versus reigning champions Collegiate Old Boys and netted every one of the six goals in a six-two win - featuring a half-hour first-half hat-trick.

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

Together, the former top-flight footballers have won fifteen major honors and moved for total transfer sums of about £123 million.

Well-Known Figures and International Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned six Irish appearances, scoring four scores

Stephen Ireland started turning out for the team during preseason this summer through close friend and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the former Irish midfielder then invited other former professionals, who all play in a weekly small-sided game, to participate.

Ex- Senegalese forward Oumar Niasse, who scored 12 goals in 65 top-flight matches for the Toffees and still goes to their home games, also made his first appearance against Collegiate OB - who are based in Liverpool and use an Everton warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

"My mate Stephen said 'come and have a game, it's a laugh'," said the striker.

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

"If you still enjoy the game and you know you can still do it, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to choose?

"Those fans who come and watch are pleased and to make someone's moment if they see us competing there and to pose us questions - it's more like the joy of us having a place we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

Such is the squad depth at Wythenshawe, he made his first game at full-back.

"That's a little different but then, I love running and just go forward - I'm not defending that much," he said.

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

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

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

Dreamlike' Experience

In addition to Cisse's six scores on his first game, Ireland has netted eight in 3 appearances for the side, while Boyd scored five on his debut appearance and Lescott, a centre-half by position, notched a hat-trick in one match as a striker.

The team are leading of the Top Tier with 3 wins from three and a GD of +19.

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who plays on the flank for the opposition, came up against former Latics full-back Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his nine-year-old boy who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at two World Cups for his country, in addition to playing in over 200 top-flight games.

"The news was going round like a rumor they had all these ex-Premier League stars," remarked the player.

"I felt I was a little awestruck playing against Figueroa to be honest.

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

"We competed well for a good 20 mins but then we had a man sent off and it was hard.

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

"The opponents were all friendly, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a bunch of regular fellas.

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

We Will Still Win the Title'

Andy Kirby coaches the opposition veterans side, who secured the Premier Division championship the previous campaign, along with his co-manager.

"Our team scored 1-0 up and had a

Daniel Armstrong
Daniel Armstrong

Eleanor Ashford is a literary scholar and editor specializing in modernist poetry and digital humanities.