Meet this Sunday League Team Featuring Over 1,800 English Top Division Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This substitutes for the team Veterans in a six-two win versus their opponents on 19 October (from left to right) - one player, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you boost a excellent experienced squad that have secured consecutive championships, including a double triumph boasting thirty victories from thirty-two games?

Recruit a raft of ex- professionals that have performed at the elite tier of club and global soccer as you target additional trophies.

A Manchester side has an non-professional vets team with 9 ex- top-flight footballers in their current lineup.

222 Premier League Goals, 325 Global Appearances

Wythenshawe Veterans Over 35s are based in south Manchester and play in the Cheshire-based Veterans Division Premier Tier.

Their lineup this season features nine ex- Premier League players, with a total over 1,800 Premier League appearances.

This star-studded squad also includes 222 Premier League scores and over 320 international caps.

The squad feature one forward, who scored thirty-seven goals in over 100 games for his former club after joining them for £9m from German league side SC Freiburg in January 2012.

He had his first appearance for the team in their most recent home game against reigning title holders Collegiate Old Boys and scored all six goals in a six-two victory - featuring a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's roster for this campaign also features former professionals such as English and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley winger George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the ex- Premier League players have won fifteen significant trophies and moved for combined transfer fees of about £123 million.

Household Figures and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned 6 Republic of Ireland appearances, scoring four goals

Ireland began turning out for the team during pre-season this summer through good mate and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Irish player then asked additional ex-pros, who all play in a midweek nine-a-side game, to join in.

Former Senegal striker Oumar Niasse, who scored 12 goals in 65 top-flight games for Everton and even now goes to their home games, also had his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Blue training kit as their uniform.

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

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

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

"When you still enjoy football and you feel you can still play, anywhere you can play, what are you going to choose?

"Those fans who come and see are pleased and to give a moment if they see us competing there and to ask us queries - it's really about the pleasure of us having somewhere we can play, with organisation of course."

Such is the squad depth at the club, he made his debut at defender.

"That's a bit 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.

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

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

Dreamlike' Experience

Along with Cisse's six scores on his first game, Stephen Ireland has scored eight in 3 games for the side, while Boyd hit five on his debut match and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by position, notched a hat-trick in one game as a striker.

The team are leading of the Top Tier with 3 victories from three and a goal difference of plus nineteen.

One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the wing for the opposition, came up against former Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his young son who Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at two global tournaments for his country, in as well as featuring in more than two hundred Premier League games.

"The news was going round like wildfire they had these ex-Premier League stars," remarked the player.

"I felt I was a bit awestruck facing Figueroa to be honest.

"Even Emile [Heskey] got on and he's has over 60 English caps.

"Our side held our own for a good twenty minutes but then we had a player dismissed and it was tough.

"Our group really have not stopped talking about it - I was calling my mum and brother on the journey home.

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

"Now we are eager for the second fixture."

'We'll Still Win the Title'

The manager manages the opposition vets side, who won the Top Division championship the previous campaign, along with Paul Maguire.

"We went one-nil ahead and had a

Kristen Fisher
Kristen Fisher

A content strategist passionate about storytelling and digital innovation, with over a decade of experience in creative industries.