Introduce the Weekend League Squad Featuring Over 1,800 Top-Flight Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This substitutes for the team Veterans during a 6-2 triumph versus Collegiate Old Boys on 19 October (left to right) - one player, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you boost a outstanding experienced team who have claimed consecutive championships, including a league-cup double with thirty victories from 32 games?

Sign a collection of former professionals who have performed at the highest tier of club football and international soccer as you aim for more honors.

One Manchester club fields an non-professional vets squad with 9 former top-flight players in their present lineup.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Scores, Three Hundred Twenty-Five International Caps

Wythenshawe Vets Over 35s are situated in southern Manchester and compete in the Cheshire-based Veterans Division Top Tier.

Their squad list this season includes nine former top-flight footballers, with a total nearly 1,800 top-flight appearances.

This star-studded roster also contains 222 Premier League goals and over 320 global caps.

They feature one forward, who notched thirty-seven goals in over 100 games for Newcastle United after joining them for £9m from German league club SC Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse made his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their most recent home match against reigning title holders Collegiate Old Boys and scored all six goals in a 6-2 win - featuring a 32-minute opening period triple.

Wythenshawe's roster for this season also features ex- professionals such as English and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley winger George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the ex- Premier League players have secured fifteen major honors and moved for total transfer sums of around £123m.

Well-Known Figures and International Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He won 6 Republic of Ireland appearances, scoring four scores

Stephen Ireland began playing for the side in preseason this summer through close mate and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then invited other ex-pros, who all play in a weekly nine-a-side match, to join in.

Former Senegalese forward Oumar Niasse, who netted twelve goals in 65 Premier League games for Everton and even now goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also made his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and use an Blue training kit as their strip.

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

"My friend Stephen told me 'come and play, it's enjoyable'," commented the striker.

"Then he told me we were facing a side from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I noticed them sporting Everton kits - I thought this is strange for me!

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

"Those people who turn up and watch are pleased and to make someone's moment if they see us playing there and to pose us queries - it's really about the pleasure of us getting a place we can play, with organisation of course."

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

"That's a little different but then, I enjoy running and just go forward - I'm not defending that much," he said.

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

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

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

Unreal Experience

Along with Cisse's six scores on his first game, Ireland has scored eight in three appearances for the side, while Boyd scored 5 on his first match and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by position, notched a triple in one game as a striker.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Premier Division with 3 wins from 3 and a GD of +19.

One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the flank for Collegiate OB, faced ex- Wigan full-back Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his young boy who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at two World Cups for Honduras, in as well as playing in over 200 top-flight matches.

"The news was going round like wildfire they had these ex-Premier League stars," said Barrow.

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

"Even Emile [Heskey] came on and he's has 60-odd English appearances.

"We competed well for a solid 20 minutes but then we had a man dismissed and it was hard.

"We really have not stopped talking about it - I was phoning my mum and brother on the journey home.

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

"Now we are eager for the second match."

We Will Still Take the Title'

Andy Kirby manages the Collegiate veterans team, who won the Top Tier championship last season, along with Paul Maguire.

"Our team went one-nil ahead and had a

Frank Shannon
Frank Shannon

Tech enthusiast and digital lifestyle writer with a passion for reviewing gadgets and sharing innovative tech solutions.

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