Meet this Weekend League Squad Featuring Nearly Two Thousand English Top Division Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This substitutes for Wythenshawe Vets in a 6-2 win versus Collegiate Old Boys on October 19th (left to right) - one player, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you boost a stellar experienced team who have claimed back-to-back titles, featuring a league-cup double boasting 30 victories from thirty-two matches?

Sign a collection of former professionals who have played at the highest tier of club and international football as you pursue further silverware.

One Manchester team fields an amateur veterans team with 9 ex- top-flight players in their current squad.

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

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

The squad list this season boasts nine former Premier League footballers, with a collective over 1,800 top-flight games.

This high-profile roster also contains over 220 top division goals and over 320 international caps.

The squad feature one forward, who notched thirty-seven goals in over 100 games for Newcastle United after signing for them for £9m from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse had his debut for Wythenshawe in their most recent home match versus reigning champions Collegiate Old Boys and scored every one of the six scores in a 6-2 win - including a half-hour opening period hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's team for this campaign also includes former professionals such as England and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the ex- Premier League footballers have won fifteen big trophies and transferred for combined transfer fees of around £123m.

Famous Figures and Global Stars

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

Stephen Ireland began turning out for the side during preseason this summer through good mate and present Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland midfielder then asked additional ex-pros, who all compete in a midweek small-sided match, to participate.

Former Senegal forward Niasse, who scored 12 goals in 65 top-flight matches for the Toffees and even now attends their home games, also made his first appearance versus 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

"A mate Stephen told me 'come and have a game, it's good fun'," said the striker.

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

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

"The fans who come and see are happy and to give a moment if they see us competing there and to ask us questions - it's more like the joy of us having somewhere we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

So great is the squad depth at the club, he had his debut at defender.

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

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

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

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

Dreamlike' Scenario

In addition to Cisse's six scores on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored eight in three games for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd hit 5 on his first match and Lescott, a defender by trade, scored a hat-trick in one match as a striker.

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

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who features on the wing for Collegiate OB, faced former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his young boy who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at 2 global tournaments for his country, in as well as playing in more than 200 Premier League games.

"It was spreading like wildfire they had all these former top-flight stars," said the player.

"I think I was a little starstruck facing Figueroa to be honest.

"Also Emile [Heskey] got on and he's got over 60 English appearances.

"Our side held our own for a good 20 mins but then we had a man dismissed and it was tough.

"We really have not ceased chatting about it - I was calling my mum and brother on the journey home.

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

"Now we are eager for the second fixture."

We Will Still Win the League'

Andy Kirby manages the Collegiate veterans team, who won the Top Tier championship the previous campaign, together with Paul Maguire.

"We went 1-0 ahead and had a

Cameron Hayes
Cameron Hayes

A tech enthusiast and software developer with over 8 years of experience in web technologies and digital innovation.