Introduce the Sunday League Club Featuring Nearly Two Thousand English Top Division Games

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

How can you improve a excellent veteran side who have secured back-to-back titles, featuring a league-cup double with 30 wins from thirty-two matches?

Sign a collection of former professionals that have competed at the top tier of club and global soccer as you pursue additional trophies.

One Manchester club has an amateur veterans squad with nine former top-flight players in their current squad.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Scores, 325 International Appearances

The team Veterans Over 35s are located in southern Manchester and play in the Cheshire Veterans Division Premier Division.

Their lineup this season includes 9 former Premier League footballers, with a total 1,801 top-flight matches.

The high-profile team also includes over 220 Premier League goals and over 320 global appearances.

The squad include Papiss Cisse, who netted 37 goals in 117 games for Newcastle United after joining them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga side Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse made his debut for Wythenshawe in their most recent home game versus reigning title holders Collegiate Old Boys and scored all six scores in a 6-2 win - including a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.

The team for this campaign also features former professionals such as England and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former Premier League players have claimed fifteen significant trophies and transferred for combined transfer fees of about £123 million.

Household Figures and International Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned six Irish appearances, scoring 4 scores

Ireland started playing for the side during preseason this summer through close mate and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland midfielder then invited other former professionals, who all compete in a midweek small-sided match, to participate.

Former Senegal forward Oumar Niasse, who scored 12 scores in 65 Premier League matches for the Toffees and still attends their home games, also had his debut against Collegiate OB - who are based in Liverpool and use an Everton warm-up gear as their uniform.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
Oumar Niasse played for Everton from 2016 and 2020

"My mate Stephen Ireland told me 'join and have a game, it's a laugh'," commented the striker.

"After that he told me we were playing a team from the city and the surprise I had when I noticed them wearing Blue kits - I say this is strange for me!

"If you still enjoy the game and you feel you can still play, anywhere you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?

"The fans who turn up and see are happy and to give someone's moment if they see us playing there and to pose us queries - it's really about the joy of us having somewhere we can play, with organisation of course."

Such is the squad depth at the club, Niasse made his first game at full-back.

"It's a bit 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 keep attacking.

"That movement is what I'm looking for. It's enjoyable."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is turning out for the team

'Surreal Feeling

In addition to Cisse's 6 goals on his first game, Ireland has scored 8 in three games for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd scored five on his first match and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a triple in one match up front.

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

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who features on the wing for the opposition, faced former Wigan defender Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his nine-year-old son who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at two World Cups for his country, in addition to playing in over 200 Premier League games.

"It was going round like a rumor they had these ex-Premier League players," said the player.

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

"Also Heskey got on and he's got over 60 England caps.

"We held our own for a good 20 minutes but then we had a man dismissed and it was tough.

"Our group really have not ceased chatting about it - I was phoning my mum and sibling on the way home.

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

"Now we are eager for the return fixture."

'We'll Still Take the League'

Andy Kirby manages the Collegiate veterans side, who won the Top Tier title last season, along with Paul Maguire.

"Our team scored 1-0 up and had a

Christine Williams
Christine Williams

A tech journalist and digital strategist with over a decade of experience covering UK innovation and startup ecosystems.