Introduce the Sunday League Squad With Nearly Two Thousand Top-Flight Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The substitutes for Wythenshawe Vets in a 6-2 triumph versus Collegiate Old Boys on 19 October (left to right) - one player, Papiss Cisse, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How can you improve a outstanding veteran squad who have won consecutive titles, including a double triumph with thirty wins from thirty-two matches?

Recruit a group of ex- pro players that have performed at the highest tier of club football and global football as you pursue more trophies.

One Greater Manchester team boasts an non-professional veterans team with 9 former top-flight players in their current squad.

222 Premier League Scores, 325 International Caps

The team Veterans Over 35s are based in south the city and play in the Cheshire Vets League Premier Tier.

The lineup this campaign includes 9 former top-flight footballers, with a combined over 1,800 Premier League matches.

This elite team also contains over 220 Premier League scores and 325 international caps.

They include one forward, who notched thirty-seven scores in 117 games for his former club after signing for them for £9m from German league club SC Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse had his first appearance for the team in their most recent home game against defending champions Collegiate Old Boys and netted every one of the six scores in a six-two victory - featuring a half-hour opening period triple.

Wythenshawe's team for this campaign also features former professionals such as English and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley winger George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the former Premier League footballers have secured fifteen big honors and transferred for combined transfer sums of around £123 million.

Well-Known Figures and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned 6 Republic of Ireland appearances, netting 4 scores

Stephen Ireland began turning out for the team during pre-season this summer through close friend and present team player Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish player then invited other ex-pros, who all play in a midweek small-sided match, to participate.

Former Senegal striker Niasse, who scored twelve goals in sixty-five Premier League games for the Toffees and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also made his debut versus Collegiate OB - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Everton training kit as their uniform.

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

"A mate Stephen Ireland told me 'come and play, it's a laugh'," commented Niasse.

"Then he informed me we were facing a side from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I noticed them wearing Everton shirts - I say this is wrong for me!

"When you still love football and you know you can still play, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?

"Those people who come and see are pleased and to give someone's moment if they watch us competing there and to pose us queries - it's really about the pleasure of us having somewhere we can play, with structure of course."

So great is the strength in depth at the club, Niasse made his first game at defender.

"It's a bit different but then, I enjoy running and just move forward - I'm not defending that much," he added.

"I warn my centre-back 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to keep running.

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

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

'Surreal Experience

In addition to the forward's 6 goals on debut, Ireland has netted eight in three games for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd scored five on his debut match and Lescott, a centre-half by position, notched a hat-trick in one game up front.

The team are leading of the Top Tier with 3 wins from three and a GD of plus nineteen.

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who features on the flank for Collegiate OB, came up against ex- Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his nine-year-old son who Heskey was.

He has played at two global tournaments for Honduras, in as well as playing in more than 200 top-flight matches.

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

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

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

"Our side competed well for a good 20 minutes but then we had a player dismissed and it was hard.

"Our group literally have not ceased chatting about it - I was calling my mother and brother on the way home.

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

"Now we are eager for the second fixture."

We Will Still Win the Title'

Andy Kirby manages the Collegiate veterans side, who won the Top Division championship the previous campaign, together with his co-manager.

"Our team went 1-0 ahead and had a

Katherine Mcintosh
Katherine Mcintosh

Elara is a seasoned journalist with over a decade of experience in international reporting and storytelling.