Introduce this Weekend League Team Featuring Over 1,800 English Top Division Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for the team Vets during a six-two victory versus Collegiate Old Boys on October 19th (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you improve a stellar experienced team who have secured consecutive titles, featuring a league-cup double boasting 30 wins from 32 games?

Sign a group of former professionals who have played at the elite level of club football and international football as you target additional trophies.

A Greater Manchester team fields an non-professional veterans team with nine ex- Premier League footballers in their present roster.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Scores, Three Hundred Twenty-Five Global Appearances

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

Their lineup this campaign includes 9 ex- top-flight footballers, with a combined nearly 1,800 elite games.

This star-studded team also boasts over 220 top division scores and 325 international appearances.

The squad feature one forward, who netted 37 scores in over 100 games for Newcastle United after moving to them for nine million pounds from German league side Freiburg in 2012.

He made his debut for Wythenshawe in their most recent home-field match against defending champions Collegiate Old Boys and netted all six goals in a 6-2 win - including a 32-minute first-half hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's squad for this campaign also features ex- pros such as English and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the former top-flight footballers have claimed 15 major trophies and moved for combined transfer fees of approximately £123m.

Well-Known Names and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland won 6 Irish caps, netting 4 goals

Ireland began playing for the team in pre-season this summer through good mate and current team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Irish midfielder then invited additional ex-pros, who all play in a midweek small-sided match, to join in.

Ex- Senegalese striker Niasse, who netted twelve goals in sixty-five top-flight matches for Everton and even now goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also had his debut versus Collegiate OB - who are based in the city and use an Blue warm-up gear 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'," commented Niasse.

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

"If you still love football and you feel you can still play, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to choose?

"The spectators who come and watch are happy and to give someone's moment if they watch us playing there and to ask us questions - it's really about the pleasure of us getting somewhere we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

So great is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, he had his debut at defender.

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

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa is turning out for the team

'Surreal Scenario

Along with Cisse's six scores on his first game, Ireland has scored eight in 3 games for Wythenshawe, while Boyd scored 5 on his debut match and Joleon Lescott, a defender by trade, notched a triple in one game up front.

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

One opponent, thirty-eight, who features on the flank for Collegiate OB, came up against ex- Latics defender Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his nine-year-old boy who Heskey was.

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

"It was spreading like wildfire they had these ex-Premier League players," said Barrow.

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

"Even Emile [Heskey] came on and he's has over 60 England appearances.

"Our side competed well for a solid 20 minutes but then we had a man sent off and it was hard.

"Our group literally have not stopped chatting about it - I was phoning my mother and sibling on the way home.

"They were all really nice, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a group of normal guys.

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

We Will Still Win the League'

Andy Kirby coaches the opposition veterans side, who won the Top Division championship last season, together with Paul Maguire.

"We went 1-0 up and had a

Roy Powell
Roy Powell

A digital strategist with over a decade of experience in media innovation and content creation.