Meet the Sunday Division Team Featuring 1,800 English Top Division Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for the team Vets in a six-two win versus their opponents on October 19th (left to right) - one player, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How do you improve a outstanding veteran side that have secured consecutive championships, including a league-cup double with 30 wins from thirty-two matches?

Sign a collection of ex- pro players that have competed at the top level of club and global football as you aim for additional trophies.

A Greater Manchester club has an amateur veterans squad with 9 former Premier League footballers in their current squad.

222 Premier League Scores, 325 International Caps

Wythenshawe Veterans Over-35s are based in southern Manchester and play in the Cheshire-based Veterans League Premier Division.

The squad list this campaign includes nine ex- top-flight players, with a collective over 1,800 Premier League matches.

The star-studded squad also contains over 220 top division scores and 325 global appearances.

They feature Papiss Cisse, who netted thirty-seven goals in over 100 games for his former club after moving to them for £9m from German league side SC Freiburg in January 2012.

He had his debut for the team in their most recent home-field match against reigning title holders Collegiate Old Boys and netted every one of the six goals in a six-two win - featuring a half-hour first-half hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's team for this season also features ex- pros such as England and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley winger George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the former Premier League players have secured fifteen major honors and moved for total transfer sums of around £123 million.

Household Figures and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland won 6 Republic of Ireland appearances, scoring four goals

Ireland began turning out for the team during preseason this summer through good mate and current Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then asked other former professionals, who all play in a weekly small-sided match, to participate.

Former Senegal forward Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 scores in sixty-five top-flight matches for Everton and still goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also had his debut against Collegiate OB - who are located in Liverpool and use an Blue training kit as their strip.

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

"My mate Stephen told me 'come and have a game, it's a laugh'," said the striker.

"Then he told me we were facing a side from the city and the shock I had when I saw them wearing Blue shirts - I thought this is wrong for me!

"If you still love the game and you know you can still play, anywhere you can play, what are you going to do?

"The people who turn up and watch are pleased and to give a moment if they see us playing there and to pose us queries - it's really about the pleasure of us having somewhere we can play, with structure of course."

Such is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, he had his debut at full-back.

"It's a bit different but then, I love sprinting and just go inside - I'm not defending that much," he said.

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

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

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

'Surreal Scenario

Along with Cisse's 6 scores on his first game, Stephen Ireland has netted 8 in three games for Wythenshawe, while Boyd hit 5 on his first appearance and Joleon Lescott, a defender by trade, notched a hat-trick in one game as a striker.

The team are top of the Top Division with 3 wins from three and a goal difference of +19.

One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the wing for the opposition, faced former Wigan full-back Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his young boy who Emile Heskey was.

He has played at 2 global tournaments for his country, in as well as featuring in more than 200 top-flight matches.

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

"I felt I was a little awestruck playing against Figueroa to be honest.

"Even Emile [Heskey] got on and he's got over 60 English caps.

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

"We really have not stopped talking about it - I was calling my mum and brother on the way home.

"They were all really nice, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a group of normal fellas.

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

We Will Still Win the Title'

The manager coaches the Collegiate vets side, who won the Top Tier championship the previous campaign, along with Paul Maguire.

"We went 1-0 ahead and had a

Jennifer Adams
Jennifer Adams

An avid angler with 15 years of experience, sharing expert reel repair techniques.

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