Introduce the Sunday Division Club Featuring Over 1,800 Top-Flight Appearances

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

What can you boost a excellent experienced side that have claimed consecutive championships, featuring a league-cup double with thirty wins from 32 games?

Recruit a raft of former professionals who have competed at the elite tier of club football and global soccer as you aim for additional silverware.

A Manchester side fields an non-professional vets squad with nine former top-flight footballers in their current squad.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Goals, 325 International Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets Over-35s are based in south the city and compete in the Cheshire Vets League Premier Division.

Their lineup this campaign includes 9 ex- Premier League players, with a total nearly 1,800 Premier League matches.

The high-profile roster also boasts over 220 top division goals and over 320 international caps.

They include one forward, who netted thirty-seven scores in over 100 appearances for his former club after signing for them for nine million pounds from German league side SC Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse had his first appearance for the team in their last home-field match against reigning champions their rivals and netted every one of the six scores in a six-two victory - including a half-hour first-half hat-trick.

The team for this campaign also includes former pros such as English and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley winger George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the former top-flight players have won fifteen big honors and transferred for total transfer sums of approximately £123 million.

Well-Known Names and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland won six Republic of Ireland caps, netting four scores

Ireland began turning out for the side in pre-season this summer through good friend and current Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the former Irish midfielder then asked other ex-pros, who all play in a weekly small-sided match, to join in.

Former Senegalese striker Niasse, who netted twelve goals in 65 top-flight games for the Toffees and still attends their matches at Goodison Park, also had his debut versus Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and wear an Everton warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

"My mate Stephen Ireland said 'join and play, it's good fun'," said Niasse.

"After that he told me we were playing a side from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I noticed them sporting Everton kits - I thought this is strange for me!

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

"The fans who turn up and see are happy and to give a moment if they watch us playing there and to ask us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us getting a place we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

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

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

"I tell 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 good fun."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa is turning out for Wythenshawe

Dreamlike' Feeling

In addition to Cisse's six scores on his first game, Stephen Ireland has scored 8 in 3 appearances for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd hit 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 3 and a goal difference of +19.

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who plays on the flank for Collegiate OB, faced former Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his young son who Emile Heskey was.

He has played at 2 World Cups for Honduras, in as well as featuring in more than 200 Premier League games.

"The news was going round like wildfire they had these former top-flight stars," remarked Barrow.

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

"Also Heskey came on and he's has over 60 English appearances.

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

"Our group literally have not ceased talking about it - I was phoning my mum and brother on the journey home.

"The opponents were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the game - it was like playing a bunch of normal fellas.

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

We Will Still Take the League'

The manager coaches the opposition veterans side, who secured the Top Tier title last season, along with his co-manager.

"We went 1-0 up and had a

Connie Miller
Connie Miller

A passionate esports journalist and gaming enthusiast with over a decade of experience covering competitive gaming and industry trends.