Discover the Sunday Division Team With 1,800 English Top Division Games

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

What can you enhance a outstanding experienced squad that have claimed consecutive titles, featuring a league-cup double with 30 wins from 32 games?

Bring in a collection of ex- professionals that have performed at the highest tier of club and international soccer as you aim for additional trophies.

One Manchester club fields an amateur vets team with nine ex- Premier League footballers in their present squad.

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

Wythenshawe Vets Over-35s are located in southern Manchester and compete in the Cheshire Veterans League Premier Division.

Their roster this season features 9 former top-flight players, with a total over 1,800 elite matches.

This high-profile roster also boasts 222 top division scores and 325 international caps.

They include Papiss Cisse, who netted thirty-seven goals in 117 games for his former club after moving to them for £9m from German league club SC Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse had his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their most recent home match against reigning champions Collegiate Old Boys and netted all six goals in a six-two win - including a 32-minute opening period triple.

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

In total, the ex- Premier League players have claimed fifteen significant honors and transferred for combined transfer sums of about £123m.

Well-Known Figures and International Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He won six Republic of Ireland caps, netting 4 goals

Stephen Ireland began playing for the team in preseason this summer through close mate and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish player then invited additional former professionals, who all play in a midweek nine-a-side game, to participate.

Former Senegalese forward Niasse, who scored 12 goals in 65 Premier League matches for the Toffees and even now goes to their home games, also made his first appearance against the opposition - who are based in Liverpool and use an Blue training kit as their uniform.

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

"My friend Stephen told me 'come and play, it's enjoyable'," said Niasse.

"Then he told me we were playing a side from the city and the surprise I had when I saw them sporting Blue shirts - I say this is wrong for me!

"When you still love the game and you feel you can still play, wherever you can play, what are you going to choose?

"Those fans who come and watch are happy and to give a day if they see us competing there and to ask us questions - it's really about the pleasure of us getting somewhere we can play, with organisation of course."

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

"It's a bit unusual but then, I enjoy sprinting and just go forward - I'm not defending that much," he said.

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

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

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

'Surreal Scenario

In addition to Cisse's six goals on his first game, Ireland has scored eight in 3 appearances for the side, while George Boyd hit five on his debut match and Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a triple in one game as a striker.

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

Paul Barrow, 38, who features on the wing for Collegiate OB, faced ex- Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his nine-year-old son who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at 2 global tournaments for Honduras, in as well as playing in over 200 top-flight games.

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

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

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

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

"Our group really haven't ceased chatting about it - I was calling my mum and brother on the way home.

"They were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a bunch of normal fellas.

"Now we are eager for the second match."

'We'll Still Win the Title'

Andy Kirby coaches the Collegiate vets side, who secured the Top Division championship last season, along with Paul Maguire.

"Our team scored 1-0 up and had a

Zachary Gonzalez
Zachary Gonzalez

A tech journalist with over a decade of experience covering consumer electronics and emerging technologies across Europe.