Discover this Sunday Division Team Boasting Nearly Two Thousand Premier League Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for Wythenshawe Veterans during a 6-2 triumph against Collegiate Old Boys on 19 October (left to right) - one player, another, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you enhance a excellent veteran squad that have won back-to-back championships, featuring a league-cup double boasting 30 wins from 32 matches?

Bring in a group of former pro players who have played at the highest level of club and global football as you aim for more trophies.

A Greater Manchester side has an amateur vets team with 9 former top-flight footballers in their current roster.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five International Appearances

Wythenshawe Veterans Over 35s are situated in southern the city and compete in the Cheshire Veterans League Premier Division.

The roster this season includes 9 former Premier League players, with a collective 1,801 elite matches.

The high-profile roster also includes over 220 top division goals and 325 international caps.

They feature one forward, who netted thirty-seven goals in 117 appearances for Newcastle United after joining them for £9m from German league club Freiburg in January 2012.

He made his first appearance for the team in their most recent home game versus reigning champions their rivals and netted all six goals in a six-two win - including a half-hour first-half hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's roster for this campaign also features ex- professionals such as English and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley winger George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the ex- Premier League footballers have secured fifteen big honors and moved for total transfer fees of approximately £123m.

Famous Names and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned 6 Irish appearances, netting 4 scores

Ireland began turning out for the side in preseason this summer through good mate and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland midfielder then asked other former professionals, who all compete in a weekly nine-a-side match, to participate.

Ex- Senegal striker Niasse, who netted twelve goals in 65 top-flight games for Everton and still goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also had his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are based in Liverpool and wear an Everton warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

"My mate Stephen said 'come and play, it's a laugh'," said the striker.

"Then he informed me we were facing a team from the city and the shock I had when I noticed them sporting Blue shirts - I thought this is wrong 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?

"The people who turn up and watch are happy and to make a day if they watch us competing there and to pose us queries - it's more like the joy of us having a place we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

Such is the strength in depth at the club, Niasse made his debut at defender.

"It's a little different but then, I love running and just move forward - I'm not staying back that much," he added.

"I tell 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 good fun."

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

Unreal Feeling

In addition to Cisse's six goals on debut, Stephen Ireland has netted 8 in 3 games for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd scored five on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a hat-trick in one game up front.

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

One opponent, 38, who plays on the flank for Collegiate OB, faced ex- Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his nine-year-old son who Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at two global tournaments for Honduras, in addition to playing in more than 200 top-flight matches.

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

"I think I was a little starstruck playing against Figueroa to be honest.

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

"We held our own for a good 20 mins but then we had a man dismissed and it was hard.

"Our group really haven't stopped talking about it - I was phoning my mum and sibling on the way home.

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

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

'We'll Still Take the Title'

The manager coaches the Collegiate vets team, who won the Top Tier title the previous campaign, along with his co-manager.

"Our team went one-nil up and had a

Michael Tate
Michael Tate

Maya Chen is a tech journalist and digital strategist with over a decade of experience covering emerging technologies and consumer electronics trends.