Meet this Weekend Division Squad With Over 1,800 Premier League Matches

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

What can you improve a stellar experienced side who have secured consecutive championships, including a double triumph boasting thirty victories from 32 games?

Recruit a raft of former pro players that have competed at the highest level of club and global soccer as you aim for further honors.

One Greater Manchester team fields an non-professional veterans squad with 9 ex- top-flight players in their current lineup.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five Global Caps

Wythenshawe Veterans Over 35s are based in southern the city and compete in the Cheshire Veterans League Premier Tier.

Their squad list this campaign boasts nine ex- Premier League footballers, with a combined nearly 1,800 elite matches.

This high-profile team also contains over 220 Premier League scores and over 320 global caps.

The squad include one forward, who netted thirty-seven goals in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after moving to them for £9m from German league club Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse made his debut for Wythenshawe in their last home-field match versus reigning title holders Collegiate Old Boys and netted every one of the six goals in a six-two victory - featuring a 32-minute first-half triple.

Wythenshawe's squad for this season also includes former professionals such as English and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the former top-flight players have claimed fifteen big honors and transferred for combined transfer sums of approximately £123m.

Household Names and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned 6 Republic of Ireland appearances, scoring four goals

Stephen Ireland began turning out for the team in preseason this summer through good mate and present Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland midfielder then asked other ex-pros, who all play in a midweek small-sided match, to join in.

Ex- Senegal striker Niasse, who scored 12 goals in sixty-five top-flight games for the Toffees and still attends their home games, also had his debut against the opposition - who are located in the city and use an Blue training kit as their uniform.

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

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

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

"If you still enjoy football and you know you can still play, anywhere you can play, what are you going to do?

"The spectators who come and watch are pleased and to make someone's moment if they watch us competing there and to ask us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us getting somewhere we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

So great is the squad depth at the club, Niasse had his debut at full-back.

"That's a little different but then, I enjoy running and just move inside - I'm not defending that much," he added.

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

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

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

Unreal Scenario

In addition to the forward's 6 goals on his first game, Stephen Ireland has scored 8 in three games for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd hit 5 on his first match and Lescott, a defender by trade, scored a triple in one game up front.

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

One opponent, thirty-eight, who features on the wing for Collegiate OB, came up against former Wigan full-back Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his nine-year-old son who Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at two World Cups for Honduras, in addition to playing in over two hundred top-flight games.

"The news was going round like a rumor they had these ex-Premier League players," remarked Barrow.

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

"Even Heskey came on and he's has over 60 English caps.

"We held our own for a good 20 mins but then we had a man dismissed and it was tough.

"Our group literally haven't stopped talking about it - I was calling my mother and brother on the journey home.

"They were all really nice, shaking our hands after the game - it was like playing a bunch of regular guys.

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

We Will Still Take the League'

The manager manages the opposition vets team, who secured the Top Division title the previous campaign, along with his co-manager.

"Our team went one-nil ahead and had a

Diana Collins
Diana Collins

A seasoned financial analyst with over 15 years of experience in precious metals markets, specializing in UK investment strategies.