Introduce the Weekend Division Club Featuring Over 1,800 English Top Division Appearances

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

How can you improve a excellent experienced side who have won consecutive championships, including a double triumph boasting 30 victories from thirty-two matches?

Bring in a collection of ex- pro players who have competed at the elite level of club and global soccer as you target additional honors.

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

222 Top Division Goals, 325 International Caps

The team Veterans Over-35s are situated in southern Manchester and play in the Cheshire Veterans Division Premier Tier.

The lineup this campaign features 9 former top-flight footballers, with a collective 1,801 Premier League matches.

This high-profile squad also boasts 222 Premier League goals and over 320 global appearances.

The squad include one forward, who scored thirty-seven goals in over 100 games for Newcastle United after moving to them for nine million pounds from German league club Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse had his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their last home game versus defending title holders Collegiate Old Boys and netted all six scores in a six-two victory - featuring a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's roster for this campaign also includes former pros such as England and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the former top-flight footballers have secured 15 big honors and transferred for total transfer sums of about ÂŁ123m.

Famous Figures and International Stars

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

Ireland began playing for the side in preseason this summer through close mate and current Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish player then asked additional ex-pros, who all compete in a midweek nine-a-side match, to participate.

Ex- Senegalese forward Oumar Niasse, who netted twelve scores in 65 top-flight matches for the Toffees and even now goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also made his debut against Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and use an Blue warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

"A mate Stephen Ireland said 'come and play, it's enjoyable'," said the striker.

"After that he told me we were playing a team from the city and the surprise I had when I saw them wearing Everton shirts - I say this is strange for me!

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

"Those fans who come and watch are happy and to make a day if they see us playing there and to ask us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us getting somewhere we can play, with structure of course."

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

"It's a little unusual but then, I enjoy running and just go inside - I'm not defending that much," he said.

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is playing for Wythenshawe

Dreamlike' Experience

Along with Cisse's 6 goals on debut, Ireland has scored eight in 3 appearances for the side, while Boyd scored five on his first match and Lescott, a centre-half by position, scored a hat-trick in one game up front.

Wythenshawe are top of the Premier Tier with three wins from 3 and a goal difference of +19.

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

Figueroa has played at 2 global tournaments for Honduras, in as well as playing in over two hundred top-flight games.

"It was going round like wildfire they had all these ex-Premier League players," said the player.

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

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

"We held our own for a solid 20 minutes but then we had a man dismissed and it was hard.

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

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

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

'We'll Still Win the Title'

Andy Kirby coaches the Collegiate vets side, who secured the Top Tier championship last season, along with Paul Maguire.

"We scored one-nil up and had a

Heidi Turner
Heidi Turner

A seasoned sports analyst and betting strategist with over a decade of experience in European markets.