Discover this Weekend Division Team With Over 1,800 Top-Flight Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The substitutes for Wythenshawe Vets in a six-two win against their opponents on 19 October (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you improve a excellent veteran side that have secured back-to-back titles, including a league-cup double boasting 30 wins from 32 matches?

Recruit a collection of former professionals who have played at the elite tier of club football and international football as you aim for further honors.

One Greater Manchester team boasts an amateur vets squad with nine former top-flight players in their present lineup.

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

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

The squad list this campaign boasts nine former Premier League footballers, with a combined nearly 1,800 top-flight matches.

The star-studded squad also boasts 222 top division scores and 325 international caps.

The squad feature one forward, who scored thirty-seven scores in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after joining them for nine million pounds from German league club Freiburg in 2012.

He had his first appearance for the team in their most recent home game against reigning champions their rivals and netted all six goals in a 6-2 victory - featuring a 32-minute first-half triple.

The team for this campaign also includes ex- professionals such as England and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the ex- top-flight players have claimed fifteen major honors and transferred for combined transfer sums of around £123 million.

Household Names and International Players

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

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

Ex- Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 goals in sixty-five top-flight games for the Toffees and still goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also made his first appearance versus the opposition - who are based in Liverpool and use an Blue training kit as their uniform.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
He featured for Everton between 2016 and 2020

"A mate Stephen Ireland told me 'join and play, it's a laugh'," commented Niasse.

"Then he told me we were facing a team from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I saw them sporting Everton shirts - I thought this is strange for me!

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

"Those fans who turn up and see are happy and to make a day if they see us competing there and to ask us questions - it's really about the pleasure of us getting a place we can play, with structure of course."

Such is the squad depth at Wythenshawe, he had his first game at defender.

"That's a bit unusual but then, I love sprinting and just move forward - I'm not staying back that much," he said.

"I warn my centre-back 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to continue running.

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

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

Unreal Experience

Along with Cisse's 6 scores on his first game, Ireland has scored 8 in three games for the side, while George Boyd scored 5 on his debut match and Lescott, a defender by trade, scored a hat-trick in one game up front.

Wythenshawe are top of the Premier Tier with three victories from three and a GD of plus nineteen.

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who features on the wing for Collegiate OB, faced ex- Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his young boy who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at 2 global tournaments for his country, in as well as playing in more than 200 Premier League matches.

"It was going round like a rumor they had all these former top-flight players," remarked Barrow.

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

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

"We competed well for a good 20 minutes but then we had a player dismissed and it was tough.

"We literally have not ceased talking about it - I was calling my mum and sibling on the way home.

"The opponents were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the match - it was like facing a bunch of regular guys.

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

'We'll Still Take the Title'

Andy Kirby manages the Collegiate veterans side, who won the Premier Division championship last season, together with Paul Maguire.

"Our team scored 1-0 ahead and had a

Mark Campbell
Mark Campbell

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