Introduce this Sunday League Club Boasting Nearly Two Thousand English Top Division Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for the team Veterans in a 6-2 victory versus Collegiate Old Boys on October 19th (from left to right) - one player, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How do you improve a outstanding veteran squad who have claimed back-to-back championships, including a double triumph with thirty wins from 32 matches?

Sign a collection of former pro players that have played at the elite tier of club and global soccer as you target more silverware.

A Manchester team has an non-professional vets team with 9 former Premier League players in their active squad.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Goals, 325 Global Caps

Wythenshawe Veterans Over 35s are situated in south Manchester and compete in the Cheshire-based Vets League Top Division.

Their lineup this season includes nine former top-flight footballers, with a collective nearly 1,800 elite appearances.

This high-profile team also includes 222 top division scores and 325 international appearances.

They include Papiss Cisse, who netted 37 scores in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after signing for them for £9m from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in 2012.

He made his debut for the team in their last home game versus reigning title holders Collegiate Old Boys and netted every one of the six goals in a 6-2 win - including a half-hour first-half triple.

Wythenshawe's squad for this season also includes former professionals such as English and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the ex- Premier League players have secured fifteen significant trophies and moved for total transfer sums of approximately £123m.

Household Figures and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned six Irish caps, scoring 4 goals

Ireland started playing for the side in preseason this season through good mate and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then asked additional ex-pros, who all compete in a midweek nine-a-side game, to join in.

Former Senegalese striker Niasse, who netted 12 scores in 65 Premier League matches for the Toffees and even now goes to their home games, also made his first appearance against Collegiate OB - who are based in the city and use an Everton training kit as their strip.

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

"My mate Stephen Ireland told me 'come and have a game, it's enjoyable'," said Niasse.

"After that he informed me we were playing a side from the city and the shock I had when I noticed them wearing Everton shirts - I say this is wrong for me!

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

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

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

"That's a bit different but then, I enjoy sprinting and just go forward - I'm not staying back that much," he added.

"I warn my defender 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to keep attacking.

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is playing for the team

'Surreal Scenario

Along with the forward's 6 goals on debut, Stephen Ireland has netted 8 in 3 games for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd scored 5 on his first appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by position, notched a triple in one game up front.

The team are top of the Top Tier with three victories from three and a GD of +19.

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who features on the wing for Collegiate OB, came up against former Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his young boy who Heskey was.

He has appeared at two global tournaments for Honduras, in as well as featuring in over two hundred Premier League games.

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

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

"Even Emile [Heskey] came on and he's has 60-odd England caps.

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

"We really haven't ceased talking about it - I was phoning my mother and sibling on the journey home.

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

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

'We'll Still Take the Title'

The manager coaches the opposition vets team, who won the Premier Tier championship the previous campaign, together with Paul Maguire.

"We scored 1-0 ahead and had a

Kimberly Soto
Kimberly Soto

Lena Veldhuis is an urban culture enthusiast and freelance writer, passionate about street art and creative communities.

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