Discover the Sunday Division Squad With Nearly Two Thousand English Top Division Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for the team Veterans during a 6-2 win versus 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

What do you boost a outstanding veteran side that have secured consecutive championships, including a double triumph boasting 30 victories from 32 matches?

Sign a group of former professionals that have competed at the elite tier of club and global football as you target additional silverware.

A Greater Manchester club boasts an non-professional vets squad with nine former top-flight players in their active squad.

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

The team Vets Over-35s are located in south Manchester and play in the Cheshire-based Vets League Top Division.

The roster this season includes nine former Premier League players, with a combined nearly 1,800 top-flight matches.

The star-studded team also boasts over 220 Premier League scores and 325 international appearances.

The squad feature one forward, who scored 37 scores in 117 appearances for Newcastle United after moving to them for nine million pounds from German league club Freiburg in January 2012.

He made his debut for the team in their most recent home game against reigning title holders their rivals and scored all six scores in a 6-2 win - featuring a half-hour opening period hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's roster 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 Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the ex- top-flight footballers have won 15 significant honors and transferred for total transfer fees of about £123 million.

Well-Known Figures and International Players

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned six Republic of Ireland caps, scoring 4 scores

Stephen Ireland started turning out for the team in pre-season this summer through good friend and current Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish midfielder then invited additional former professionals, who all play in a midweek nine-a-side game, to join in.

Former Senegal forward Niasse, who scored 12 scores in 65 top-flight matches for Everton and still goes to their home games, also had his debut versus Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and use an Blue warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

"My friend Stephen told me 'join and have a game, it's good fun'," said the striker.

"After that he informed me we were facing a team from Liverpool and the shock I had when I saw them sporting Everton shirts - I thought this is strange for me!

"If you still love the game and you feel you can still do it, wherever you can play, what are you going to choose?

"Those fans who turn up and watch are happy and to give someone's day if they see us competing there and to pose us queries - it's really about the pleasure of us getting a place we can play, with structure of course."

Such is the bench strength at the club, Niasse had his debut at defender.

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

"I tell my centre-back 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to keep attacking.

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

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

Dreamlike' Feeling

In addition to the forward's 6 goals on his first game, Ireland has netted eight in 3 games for the side, while Boyd scored 5 on his first match and Joleon Lescott, a defender by position, notched a hat-trick in one game up front.

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

One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the flank for Collegiate OB, faced ex- Latics defender Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his young boy who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at two World Cups for his country, in as well as featuring in over two hundred Premier League games.

"It was going round like a rumor they had these former top-flight players," said Barrow.

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

"Even Heskey came on and he's got 60-odd English caps.

"Our side held our own for a solid twenty minutes but then we had a man sent off and it was tough.

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

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

"Now we are eager for the second fixture."

We Will Still Take the League'

Andy Kirby coaches the Collegiate veterans team, who won the Top Division title the previous campaign, along with his co-manager.

"Our team went 1-0 ahead and had a

Michele Lee
Michele Lee

Elena is a tech enthusiast and writer with a passion for creating accessible tools that simplify everyday life.