Meet this Weekend League Club Boasting Over 1,800 English Top Division Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The substitutes for the team Vets in a six-two win versus Collegiate Old Boys on 19 October (from left to right) - one player, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How do you boost a excellent veteran side who have secured back-to-back titles, featuring a league-cup double with 30 wins from thirty-two games?

Recruit a collection of former pro players who have competed at the elite level of club and international soccer as you target further silverware.

A Greater Manchester club has an non-professional veterans squad with nine former top-flight footballers in their present lineup.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Scores, 325 Global Appearances

Wythenshawe Veterans Over-35s are situated in south Manchester and play in the Cheshire Veterans Division Premier Division.

Their squad list this season features nine former top-flight players, with a collective nearly 1,800 elite games.

The elite roster also contains 222 top division goals and over 320 global appearances.

The squad include Papiss Cisse, who scored thirty-seven scores in 117 games for Newcastle United after signing for them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga club SC Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse had his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their most recent home-field game against defending champions their rivals and scored all six scores in a 6-2 victory - including a 32-minute first-half hat-trick.

The roster for this campaign also includes former professionals such as England and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former Premier League footballers have claimed fifteen significant honors and moved for total transfer sums of approximately £123m.

Famous Figures and Global Stars

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

Ireland started playing for the team during preseason this season through close friend and present team player Blake Norton, and the former Irish midfielder then invited additional former professionals, who all play in a weekly nine-a-side game, to join in.

Former Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 scores in sixty-five top-flight matches for the Toffees and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also made his debut versus Collegiate OB - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Blue training kit as their strip.

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

"A mate Stephen Ireland told me 'join and have a game, it's a laugh'," said the striker.

"Then he informed me we were playing a team from Liverpool and the shock I had when I noticed them wearing Everton kits - I say this is strange for me!

"When you still love the game and you know you can still do it, anywhere you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?

"The fans who come and watch are pleased and to give a day if they watch us competing there and to pose us queries - it's really about the pleasure of us getting somewhere we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

Such is the bench strength at Wythenshawe, Niasse made his first game at full-back.

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

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa is turning out for the team

Unreal Feeling

In addition to the forward's six scores on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored 8 in three games for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd scored 5 on his first appearance and Lescott, a centre-half by trade, scored a triple in one match up front.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Premier Tier with 3 victories from 3 and a goal difference of plus nineteen.

One opponent, 38, who plays on the wing for Collegiate OB, faced former Wigan defender Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his nine-year-old boy who Heskey was.

He has appeared at two World Cups for his country, in addition to playing in over 200 Premier League games.

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

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

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

"Our side competed well for a solid 20 minutes but then we had a player sent off and it was tough.

"Our group literally have not ceased talking about it - I was phoning 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 regular fellas.

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

We Will Still Win the League'

Andy Kirby coaches the Collegiate vets team, who secured the Premier Division title the previous campaign, together with his co-manager.

"We went 1-0 up and had a

Brandon Hodge
Brandon Hodge

A passionate collector and writer specializing in vintage trading cards and modern collectibles, with over a decade of experience in the hobby.