Meet this Weekend League Team With Over 1,800 English Top Division Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This substitutes for Wythenshawe Vets in a 6-2 triumph against Collegiate Old Boys on October 19th (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How do you boost a stellar veteran team who have won consecutive titles, including a double triumph with 30 victories from 32 matches?

Bring in a raft of ex- professionals that have competed at the elite level of club football and global football as you target further trophies.

A Manchester side has an amateur vets squad with nine former Premier League players in their current squad.

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

The team Veterans Over 35s are based in southern the city and play in the Cheshire-based Vets League Top Division.

Their lineup this campaign features 9 ex- Premier League footballers, with a total nearly 1,800 Premier League appearances.

The elite roster also includes 222 Premier League scores and 325 global caps.

They feature one forward, who notched 37 scores in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after joining them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga club Freiburg in 2012.

He made his debut for Wythenshawe in their most recent home-field match against defending title holders their rivals and netted all six scores in a six-two victory - featuring a 32-minute opening period triple.

Wythenshawe's team for this season also features former professionals such as English and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the ex- top-flight footballers have claimed fifteen major trophies and transferred for combined transfer sums of approximately £123 million.

Famous Names and International Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned 6 Republic of Ireland appearances, netting four goals

Ireland began playing for the team during pre-season this season through good mate and current Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then invited other ex-pros, who all play in a weekly small-sided game, to join in.

Ex- Senegalese striker Niasse, who scored twelve goals in 65 top-flight matches for the Toffees and even now goes to their home games, also had his debut versus the opposition - who are based in Liverpool and wear an Blue training kit as their strip.

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

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

"Then he told me we were playing a side from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I noticed them wearing Everton kits - I say this is wrong for me!

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

"Those spectators who come and see are pleased and to make a day if they watch us playing there and to ask us questions - it's more like the joy of us having somewhere we can play, with organisation of course."

So great is the bench strength at Wythenshawe, Niasse had his debut at defender.

"That's a bit different but then, I love running and just move forward - I'm not defending that much," he said.

"I tell my defender 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to keep running.

"That running is what I'm after. It's good fun."

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

Dreamlike' Feeling

In addition to Cisse's 6 scores on his first game, Ireland has scored 8 in three games for the side, while Boyd hit 5 on his debut match and Lescott, a defender by trade, scored a triple in one game up front.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Top Division with 3 wins from 3 and a goal difference of plus nineteen.

Paul Barrow, 38, who plays on the wing for Collegiate OB, faced ex- Latics full-back Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his young son who Emile Heskey was.

He has appeared at 2 World Cups for Honduras, in as well as playing in over 200 top-flight games.

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

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

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

"We competed well for a good 20 mins but then we had a man dismissed and it was hard.

"We really have not stopped chatting about it - I was phoning my mum and sibling on the journey home.

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

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

'We'll Still Take the Title'

Andy Kirby coaches the opposition vets side, who secured the Premier Tier title last season, along with his co-manager.

"Our team went 1-0 up and had a

Melissa Meza
Melissa Meza

A tech enthusiast and writer passionate about sharing innovative solutions and fostering community growth through insightful content.

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