Discover this Sunday Division Team Boasting Over 1,800 English Top Division Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for Wythenshawe Vets in a six-two win against Collegiate Old Boys on 19 October (left to right) - one player, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How can you boost a excellent experienced squad that have secured consecutive titles, featuring a league-cup double boasting thirty victories from thirty-two matches?

Bring in a collection of ex- professionals that have performed at the highest tier of club and global football as you target further silverware.

One Manchester side has an non-professional veterans squad with nine ex- top-flight players in their active roster.

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

Wythenshawe Vets Over 35s are situated in south the city and play in the Cheshire-based Veterans Division Premier Division.

The lineup this season features 9 former top-flight footballers, with a collective over 1,800 top-flight matches.

The star-studded squad also boasts over 220 top division goals and over 320 international caps.

The squad include Papiss Cisse, who scored thirty-seven goals in 117 games for Newcastle United after joining them for £9m from German league side Freiburg in January 2012.

He made his debut for the team in their last home match versus defending champions their rivals and scored every one of the six scores in a six-two victory - including a 32-minute first-half triple.

Wythenshawe's roster for this season also features ex- professionals such as English and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the ex- Premier League footballers have secured 15 significant trophies and moved for combined transfer sums of about £123m.

Famous Figures and International Stars

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

Stephen Ireland began turning out for the team in preseason this season through close mate and current team player Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then asked additional ex-pros, who all compete in a weekly small-sided match, to participate.

Ex- Senegalese forward Oumar Niasse, who scored twelve scores in sixty-five top-flight matches for the Toffees and even now attends their home games, also had his debut against the opposition - who are based in Liverpool and use an Blue warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

"My mate Stephen told me 'come and play, it's good fun'," commented the striker.

"Then he informed me we were playing a side from the city and the surprise I had when I saw them wearing Blue kits - I say this is wrong for me!

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

"The people who turn up and watch are pleased and to make someone's moment if they watch us playing there and to pose us questions - it's really about the joy of us getting somewhere we can play, with structure of course."

So great is the squad depth at the club, he 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 centre-back 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to continue attacking.

"The movement is what I'm after. It's good fun."

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

Dreamlike' Experience

In addition to the forward's 6 scores on his first game, Stephen Ireland has netted eight in three games for Wythenshawe, while Boyd scored 5 on his debut match and Joleon Lescott, a defender by trade, notched a triple in one match up front.

Wythenshawe are top of the Premier Tier with 3 victories from three and a GD of plus nineteen.

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who features on the flank for the opposition, faced ex- Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his young boy who Heskey was.

He has appeared at two World Cups for his country, in addition to playing in over 200 top-flight games.

"The news was going round like wildfire they had all these ex-Premier League stars," said Barrow.

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

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

"We competed well for a good twenty mins but then we had a man dismissed and it was hard.

"Our group really haven't ceased talking about it - I was phoning my mother and sibling on the way home.

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

"Now we are eager for the second match."

We Will Still Win the Title'

The manager manages the opposition vets side, who secured the Premier Tier championship the previous campaign, together with Paul Maguire.

"Our team went 1-0 up and had a

Danielle Odonnell
Danielle Odonnell

A seasoned gaming journalist with over a decade of experience covering casino trends and slot machine innovations.

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