Discover the Weekend League Club Boasting 1,800 Top-Flight Games

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

What do you enhance a excellent experienced team who have secured consecutive titles, including a double triumph boasting thirty wins from 32 games?

Recruit a raft of ex- pro players that have played at the highest level of club and international soccer as you aim for more honors.

One Manchester team fields an non-professional vets team with nine ex- top-flight footballers in their present lineup.

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

Wythenshawe Veterans Over 35s are located in southern Manchester and play in the Cheshire Veterans Division Premier Tier.

The roster this campaign features nine former Premier League footballers, with a collective nearly 1,800 elite games.

The high-profile team also includes over 220 Premier League scores and over 320 global caps.

The squad feature Papiss Cisse, who notched thirty-seven goals in over 100 games for his former club after signing for them for nine million pounds from German league club Freiburg in January 2012.

He made his debut for Wythenshawe in their most recent home-field match against defending champions their rivals and scored all six goals in a six-two win - including a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's team for this season also includes ex- professionals such as England and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley winger George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the ex- top-flight players have secured fifteen significant trophies and moved for combined transfer sums of about £123 million.

Well-Known Names and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned six Irish appearances, scoring four goals

Stephen Ireland began playing for the side during preseason this season through good friend and current Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland midfielder then asked additional former professionals, who all play in a midweek nine-a-side game, to join in.

Ex- Senegalese striker Niasse, who scored twelve scores in 65 top-flight matches for the Toffees and even now goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also made his first appearance against Collegiate OB - who are based in the city and wear an Blue training kit as their uniform.

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

"A friend Stephen told me 'come and have a game, 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 sporting Everton shirts - I thought this is strange for me!

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

"Those fans who come and watch are pleased and to make a moment if they see us playing there and to ask us queries - it's really about the joy of us having somewhere we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

Such is the strength in depth at the club, he had his first game at defender.

"That's a bit unusual but then, I love running and just move inside - I'm not defending that much," he said.

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

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

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

'Surreal Experience

Along with Cisse's six scores on debut, Ireland has netted eight in 3 appearances for Wythenshawe, while Boyd scored five on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a defender by position, scored a hat-trick in one match up front.

The team are leading of the Premier Tier with 3 victories from three and a GD of plus nineteen.

Paul Barrow, 38, who features on the wing for Collegiate OB, faced former Wigan defender Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his young boy who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at two World Cups for his country, in addition to featuring in over two hundred Premier League matches.

"The news was spreading like a rumor they had these former top-flight players," said the player.

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

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

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

"Our group really have not 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 playing a bunch of normal guys.

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

We Will Still Take the League'

The manager manages the Collegiate veterans team, who secured the Premier Tier championship last season, together with Paul Maguire.

"We scored one-nil ahead and had a

John Wolf
John Wolf

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