Discover the Weekend League Team Featuring Over 1,800 Premier League Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This substitutes for Wythenshawe Vets in a six-two 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 improve a excellent veteran team that have won back-to-back titles, featuring a league-cup double with thirty wins from thirty-two matches?

Sign a collection of ex- pro players that have competed at the highest level of club and international football as you target more trophies.

A Manchester team fields an amateur vets team with 9 former Premier League players in their present lineup.

222 Top Division Goals, 325 Global Caps

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

Their roster this campaign includes nine former top-flight footballers, with a combined 1,801 top-flight games.

This elite squad also includes 222 top division scores and over 320 international caps.

They include Papiss Cisse, who scored thirty-seven goals in 117 appearances for Newcastle United after joining them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse had his debut for the team in their most recent home-field match versus reigning title holders Collegiate Old Boys and netted all six scores in a six-two win - including a 32-minute first-half triple.

The roster for this campaign also includes former professionals such as English and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former top-flight players have claimed fifteen big honors and moved for combined transfer sums of about £123m.

Household Figures and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned 6 Irish caps, scoring four goals

Stephen Ireland began turning out for the side in preseason this season through good mate and present team player Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then asked additional former professionals, who all compete in a weekly nine-a-side game, to participate.

Former Senegal forward Oumar Niasse, who netted twelve scores in 65 top-flight games for Everton and even now goes to their home games, also had his debut against Collegiate OB - who are based in Liverpool and use an Blue warm-up gear as their strip.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
He featured for Everton from 2016 and 2020

"My mate Stephen said 'come and have a game, it's a laugh'," commented the striker.

"Then he told me we were playing a side from the city and the shock I had when I noticed them wearing Blue kits - I thought this is wrong for me!

"If you still love football and you know you can still play, wherever you can play, what are you going to do?

"Those people who come and see are pleased and to give a day if they watch us playing there and to pose us queries - it's really about the pleasure of us getting somewhere we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

Such is the bench strength at the club, Niasse had his debut at full-back.

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

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa is playing for Wythenshawe

Dreamlike' Experience

Along with the forward's 6 scores on his first game, Stephen Ireland has scored eight in three games for the side, while George Boyd hit 5 on his first appearance and Joleon Lescott, a defender by position, notched a triple in one game as a striker.

The team are top of the Premier Division with three victories from 3 and a goal difference of plus nineteen.

Paul Barrow, 38, who features on the flank for the opposition, came up against former Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his nine-year-old son who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at two World Cups for Honduras, in as well as featuring in over 200 Premier League games.

"It was spreading like wildfire they had all these former top-flight players," said Barrow.

"I think I was a little awestruck facing him to be honest.

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

"We held our own for a solid 20 minutes but then we had a player dismissed and it was hard.

"We literally have not stopped talking about it - I was phoning my mum and brother on the way home.

"They were all really nice, shaking our hands after the game - it was like playing a bunch of regular guys.

"Now we are eager for the return match."

'We'll Still Take the Title'

Andy Kirby coaches the Collegiate vets side, who won the Top Tier championship the previous campaign, along with Paul Maguire.

"Our team scored one-nil up and had a

Cynthia Vance
Cynthia Vance

A seasoned IT consultant with over 15 years of experience in digital innovation and enterprise solutions, passionate about driving business growth through technology.