Introduce the Sunday League Club With Over 1,800 English Top Division Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The substitutes for Wythenshawe Vets in a 6-2 triumph against their opponents on 19 October (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you enhance a outstanding veteran team that have won consecutive championships, including a league-cup double boasting thirty victories from 32 matches?

Sign a collection of former professionals who have played at the elite level of club and global football as you target further silverware.

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

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

The team Veterans Over-35s are situated in southern Manchester and compete in the Cheshire-based Veterans League Top Division.

The lineup this season features nine ex- top-flight players, with a collective over 1,800 Premier League matches.

This star-studded roster also contains over 220 Premier League scores and 325 global appearances.

They feature one forward, who scored 37 goals in 117 appearances for Newcastle United after moving to them for £9m from German league side SC Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse made his debut for the team in their last home-field match against reigning champions their rivals and scored every one of the six scores in a six-two victory - including a half-hour opening period triple.

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

Together, the former Premier League footballers have claimed 15 significant trophies and transferred for total transfer fees of approximately £123 million.

Famous Names and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned 6 Irish appearances, scoring 4 scores

Stephen Ireland began turning out for the team during pre-season this season through close friend and present Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish player then invited additional former professionals, who all compete in a weekly small-sided game, to join in.

Ex- Senegalese forward Niasse, who scored twelve goals in sixty-five Premier League matches for the Toffees and even now goes to their home games, also had his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are located in Liverpool and use an Everton warm-up gear as their strip.

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

"A mate Stephen Ireland told me 'join and play, it's good fun'," said Niasse.

"After that he told me we were facing a side from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I noticed them sporting Everton kits - I say this is wrong for me!

"If you still love the game and you know you can still do it, anywhere you can play, what are you going to do?

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

So great is the bench strength at the club, Niasse made his first game at defender.

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

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

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

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

Unreal Experience

In addition to Cisse's 6 goals on his first game, Stephen Ireland has scored 8 in 3 appearances for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd scored 5 on his first match and Joleon Lescott, a defender by position, notched a triple in one match as a striker.

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

One opponent, 38, who features on the flank for Collegiate OB, came up against ex- Latics full-back Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his nine-year-old son who Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at two global tournaments for Honduras, in addition to featuring in over 200 top-flight games.

"The news was spreading like wildfire they had all these former top-flight stars," remarked the player.

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

"Even Heskey got on and he's has over 60 English caps.

"Our side held our own for a good 20 mins but then we had a man sent off and it was hard.

"Our group literally haven't stopped chatting about it - I was phoning my mum and brother on the way home.

"They were all really nice, shaking our hands after the game - it was like playing a bunch of regular fellas.

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

We Will Still Win the Title'

The manager coaches the opposition veterans team, who secured the Top Tier title the previous campaign, along with his co-manager.

"Our team went 1-0 up and had a

Margaret Ross
Margaret Ross

Urban culture enthusiast and content curator, bringing you the freshest stories from the streets.