Meet this Sunday Division Club Boasting Over 1,800 Premier League Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for Wythenshawe Veterans in a 6-2 win versus their opponents on 19 October (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How do you enhance a stellar veteran squad who have claimed consecutive titles, featuring a league-cup double boasting 30 wins from thirty-two games?

Bring in a collection of former pro players that have performed at the highest level of club football and global soccer as you pursue more honors.

A Manchester club boasts an amateur vets team with 9 former Premier League footballers in their active squad.

222 Top Division Goals, 325 International Appearances

The team Vets Over-35s are situated in south Manchester and compete in the Cheshire Veterans League Premier Division.

The squad list this campaign includes nine former Premier League players, with a collective nearly 1,800 Premier League games.

The high-profile roster also boasts over 220 Premier League goals and over 320 international appearances.

They include one forward, who scored thirty-seven scores in over 100 games for his former club after signing for them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga club SC Freiburg in January 2012.

He made his first appearance for the team in their most recent home-field match versus defending champions Collegiate Old Boys and netted all six goals in a 6-2 victory - featuring a 32-minute first-half hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's squad for this campaign also features former pros such as England and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former Premier League footballers have claimed fifteen big honors and moved for total transfer fees of approximately £123 million.

Well-Known Figures and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He won 6 Republic of Ireland caps, netting four goals

Ireland began turning out for the team in preseason this summer through good friend and present Wythenshawe 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 participate.

Ex- Senegal striker Niasse, who scored 12 scores in 65 Premier League games for the Toffees and still attends their home games, also had his first appearance against the opposition - who are located in the city and wear an Everton training kit as their uniform.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
Oumar Niasse featured for Everton from 2016 and 2020

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

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

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

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

So great is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, he made his first game at defender.

"That's a bit different but then, I love running and just move inside - I'm not staying back that much," he added.

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

"That movement is what I'm looking for. It's good fun."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa is turning out for Wythenshawe

Unreal Scenario

Along with Cisse's six goals on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored eight in three games for the side, while George Boyd scored 5 on his debut appearance and Lescott, a defender by position, notched a triple in one match as a striker.

The team are leading of the Premier Division with 3 wins from 3 and a goal difference of +19.

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who features on the flank for the opposition, faced former Wigan full-back Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young boy who Heskey was.

He has played at 2 global tournaments for his country, in addition to featuring in more than 200 Premier League matches.

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

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

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

"We held our own for a good twenty mins but then we had a man sent off and it was hard.

"We really haven't ceased talking about it - I was calling my mum and sibling on the way home.

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

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

We Will Still Win the Title'

The manager manages the Collegiate vets side, who won the Top Division championship the previous campaign, together with his co-manager.

"Our team went one-nil ahead and had a

John Anderson
John Anderson

A tech enthusiast and UX designer with over a decade of experience in creating user-centric digital solutions.