Introduce this Weekend League Team Boasting 1,800 Top-Flight Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for the team Vets in a six-two victory versus Collegiate Old Boys on October 19th (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How do you boost a outstanding experienced team that have secured consecutive titles, featuring a league-cup double boasting thirty victories from thirty-two matches?

Bring in a collection of former professionals that have competed at the top level of club and global football as you pursue more honors.

One Manchester side has an amateur vets team with nine former top-flight players in their active roster.

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

The team Vets Over-35s are situated in south Manchester and play in the Cheshire Vets League Premier Tier.

Their roster this campaign includes nine former Premier League players, with a total nearly 1,800 top-flight games.

This high-profile team also includes over 220 top division goals and over 320 international caps.

They include one forward, who scored 37 scores in 117 appearances for Newcastle United after joining them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga side Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse made his debut for Wythenshawe in their last home match versus defending champions their rivals and netted all six goals in a 6-2 victory - featuring a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's team for this season also features ex- pros such as English and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley winger George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the former top-flight footballers have secured 15 big honors and moved for combined transfer fees of around £123m.

Famous Figures and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He won six Irish caps, scoring four scores

Ireland started turning out for the team during preseason this summer through close friend and present Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland midfielder then asked additional former professionals, who all compete in a weekly nine-a-side match, to join in.

Ex- Senegal forward Niasse, who scored twelve goals in sixty-five Premier League games for the Toffees and still goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also had his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and wear an Blue training kit as their uniform.

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

"A mate Stephen told me 'join and have a game, it's good fun'," said the striker.

"After that he told me we were playing a team from the city and the shock I had when I saw them wearing Blue kits - I thought this is wrong for me!

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

"Those people who turn up and see are happy and to give someone's day if they see us playing there and to pose us questions - it's really about the joy of us having a place we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

Such is the bench strength at Wythenshawe, Niasse made his debut at defender.

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

"I warn my defender 'I'm not hanging back' and that I'm just going to continue attacking.

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

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

Unreal Feeling

In addition to the forward's six scores on his first game, Stephen Ireland has netted eight in three games for Wythenshawe, while Boyd scored 5 on his first appearance and Lescott, a centre-half by trade, scored a triple in one game as a striker.

The team are leading of the Premier Division with 3 wins from 3 and a goal difference of +19.

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

Figueroa has appeared at 2 World Cups for Honduras, in as well as featuring in over two hundred top-flight matches.

"It was spreading like wildfire they had these former top-flight players," said Barrow.

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

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

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

"We literally haven't ceased chatting about it - I was phoning my mother and sibling on the journey home.

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

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

We Will Still Win the Title'

The manager manages the opposition vets side, who won the Premier Tier title the previous campaign, along with his co-manager.

"Our team went one-nil up and had a

Frank Shannon
Frank Shannon

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

March 2026 Blog Roll

November 2025 Blog Roll

Popular Post