Discover the Sunday League Squad Boasting Over 1,800 English Top Division Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This substitutes for Wythenshawe Vets during a six-two triumph against Collegiate Old Boys on October 19th (from left to right) - one player, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you enhance a excellent veteran squad that have claimed back-to-back championships, including a league-cup double with thirty victories from thirty-two matches?

Recruit a raft of ex- professionals who have played at the highest level of club and global soccer as you target further trophies.

One Greater Manchester side boasts an non-professional veterans squad with nine ex- Premier League footballers in their active roster.

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

The team Veterans Over-35s are located in south the city and play in the Cheshire Veterans Division Top Tier.

Their squad list this season includes 9 former top-flight footballers, with a total over 1,800 top-flight matches.

The star-studded squad also contains 222 top division scores and 325 global caps.

The squad feature Papiss Cisse, who scored 37 scores in over 100 appearances for his former club after moving to them for £9m from Bundesliga club Freiburg in 2012.

He had his first appearance for the team in their most recent home game against defending title holders Collegiate Old Boys and scored all six scores in a six-two win - including a half-hour opening period triple.

Wythenshawe's squad for this season also includes ex- pros such as English and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley winger George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the ex- Premier League players have secured fifteen major trophies and transferred for combined transfer fees of around £123m.

Household Figures and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned six Irish caps, scoring four scores

Stephen Ireland began playing for the team during preseason this season through close mate and present Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then asked other ex-pros, who all play in a weekly small-sided match, to join in.

Former Senegalese forward Niasse, who netted 12 goals in sixty-five top-flight matches for Everton and still attends their home games, also had his debut versus Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and use an Everton warm-up gear as their strip.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
He featured for Everton between 2016 and 2020

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

"Then he informed me we were playing a team from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I noticed them wearing Blue shirts - I thought this is strange for me!

"When you still love football and you feel you can still do it, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?

"The spectators who turn up and watch are pleased and to make a moment if they see us playing there and to pose us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us getting a place we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

Such is the strength in depth at the club, he had his first game at full-back.

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

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

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

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

'Surreal Feeling

In addition to Cisse's six goals on debut, Ireland has scored eight in three games for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd hit five on his first match and Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a hat-trick in one match as a striker.

Wythenshawe are top of the Top Division with 3 victories from three and a GD of +19.

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

He has played at 2 World Cups for his country, in as well as playing in more than 200 top-flight matches.

"The news was spreading like a rumor they had these ex-Premier League stars," said the player.

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

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

"We held our own for a good 20 mins but then we had a player sent off and it was tough.

"Our group literally haven't ceased talking about it - I was phoning my mum and sibling on the way home.

"The opponents were all friendly, shaking our hands after the match - it was like facing a bunch of normal fellas.

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

We Will Still Win the League'

Andy Kirby coaches the opposition veterans side, who won the Top Division championship last season, together with his co-manager.

"We scored one-nil ahead and had a

Linda Parks
Linda Parks

A food science expert with over a decade of experience in the beverage industry, passionate about sustainability and innovation.