Meet the Weekend Division Club With 1,800 Top-Flight Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This substitutes for Wythenshawe Veterans during a 6-2 win versus their opponents on October 19th (from left to right) - one player, another, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you improve a outstanding veteran squad who have claimed back-to-back championships, including a league-cup double with thirty wins from 32 games?

Bring in a collection of ex- pro players that have performed at the highest tier of club and global football as you aim for additional silverware.

One Manchester team fields an non-professional vets squad with 9 former Premier League footballers in their active lineup.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five International Appearances

The team Veterans Over 35s are situated in south the city and compete in the Cheshire-based Veterans Division Top Division.

The roster this campaign boasts 9 ex- Premier League players, with a combined over 1,800 Premier League games.

This elite team also boasts over 220 Premier League scores and 325 global appearances.

The squad feature one forward, who scored 37 goals in 117 games for Newcastle United after moving to them for £9m from Bundesliga side Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse had his debut for Wythenshawe in their last home match versus reigning champions their rivals and netted all six goals in a six-two victory - including a half-hour first-half hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's squad for this season also includes ex- professionals such as England and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the former top-flight players have secured fifteen big trophies and moved for total transfer fees of about £123 million.

Household Names and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned 6 Irish appearances, netting four goals

Ireland started playing for the side in pre-season this season through good friend and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish midfielder then asked other former professionals, who all compete in a weekly nine-a-side match, to join in.

Ex- Senegal forward Niasse, who netted 12 goals in 65 Premier League games for Everton and still attends their home games, also made his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are based in Liverpool and wear an Everton training kit as their uniform.

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

"A friend Stephen told me 'join and play, it's good fun'," commented the striker.

"Then he informed me we were facing a side from the city and the shock I had when I saw them wearing Everton kits - I say this is strange for me!

"If you still love the game and you feel you can still play, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?

"The people who come and watch are pleased and to give someone's moment if they watch us competing there and to ask us queries - it's really about the joy of us having a place we can play, with structure of course."

Such is the bench strength at Wythenshawe, he made his debut at full-back.

"That's a little unusual but then, I enjoy sprinting and just move forward - I'm not defending that much," he added.

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

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

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

'Surreal Scenario

Along with the forward's 6 goals on debut, Ireland has netted 8 in three appearances for the side, while Boyd hit 5 on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a defender by trade, scored a hat-trick in one game as a striker.

The team are leading of the Top Tier with three victories from 3 and a GD of plus nineteen.

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who features on the wing for the opposition, came up against ex- Wigan full-back Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his young son who Heskey was.

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

"It was going round like a rumor they had all these former top-flight players," remarked Barrow.

"I think I was a little awestruck facing Figueroa to be honest.

"Even Heskey got on and he's has 60-odd England caps.

"Our side competed well for a good 20 mins but then we had a player sent off and it was hard.

"Our group literally have not stopped chatting about it - I was calling my mother and brother on the journey home.

"The opponents were all friendly, shaking our hands after the game - it was like playing a group of regular fellas.

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

We Will Still Win the Title'

Andy Kirby coaches the Collegiate vets team, who secured the Top Division title last season, along with his co-manager.

"We went one-nil up and had a

Kristin Diaz
Kristin Diaz

Award-winning journalist specializing in global affairs and digital media trends with over a decade of international reporting experience.