Discover the Sunday League Club Featuring Over 1,800 Top-Flight Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The substitutes for the team Veterans in a 6-2 win against Collegiate Old Boys on 19 October (left to right) - one player, another, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you improve a excellent experienced side that have won consecutive championships, including a double triumph with 30 wins from 32 games?

Bring in a collection of former professionals who have competed at the highest level of club and international football as you aim for further trophies.

A Greater Manchester side boasts an amateur vets team with nine former Premier League players in their present lineup.

222 Top Division Scores, 325 Global Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets Over-35s are situated in south the city and play in the Cheshire Vets League Top Tier.

The lineup this season boasts 9 ex- top-flight footballers, with a total 1,801 Premier League appearances.

This high-profile roster also includes over 220 Premier League goals and 325 international caps.

The squad include Papiss Cisse, who notched 37 goals in 117 games for his former club after joining them for £9m from Bundesliga side Freiburg in 2012.

He had his debut for Wythenshawe in their most recent home-field game against reigning champions Collegiate Old Boys and netted every one of the six goals in a 6-2 win - featuring a 32-minute first-half hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's team for this season also features former pros such as England and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the ex- Premier League footballers have claimed 15 big trophies and transferred for combined transfer fees of approximately £123m.

Well-Known Figures and Global Stars

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

Ireland began turning out for the team in preseason this summer through close mate and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland midfielder then invited additional former professionals, who all compete in a midweek small-sided match, to join in.

Former Senegal striker Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 scores in 65 top-flight matches for Everton and even now goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also had his first appearance versus the opposition - who are based in the city and use an Everton warm-up gear as their strip.

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

"My mate Stephen said 'join and have a game, it's good fun'," commented Niasse.

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

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

"The fans who turn up and watch are happy and to make a moment if they watch us playing there and to pose us queries - it's really about the pleasure of us having a place we can play, with structure of course."

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

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

"I tell my defender 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to keep attacking.

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

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

Unreal Experience

In addition to the forward's six scores on his first game, Stephen Ireland has scored 8 in three appearances for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd scored 5 on his debut match and Lescott, a defender by trade, notched a triple in one match as a striker.

The team are leading of the Top Division with three victories from 3 and a GD of +19.

Paul Barrow, 38, who features on the wing for the opposition, came up against former Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his young boy who Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at 2 global tournaments for Honduras, in addition to playing in over 200 Premier League games.

"It was spreading like a rumor they had these former top-flight stars," said Barrow.

"I think I was a little starstruck facing him to be honest.

"Also Heskey came on and he's got over 60 English caps.

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

"Our group really haven't stopped chatting about it - I was calling my mum and sibling on the journey home.

"The opponents were all really nice, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a group of regular guys.

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

'We'll Still Win the Title'

The manager coaches the opposition vets team, who secured the Top Division title the previous campaign, along with Paul Maguire.

"We went 1-0 up and had a

Tyler Davila
Tyler Davila

A senior full-stack developer passionate about creating efficient web solutions and sharing knowledge through clear, actionable tutorials.

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