Introduce the Sunday Division Squad Boasting 1,800 English Top Division Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for Wythenshawe Vets during a six-two victory against their opponents on 19 October (from left to right) - one player, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How can you improve a outstanding veteran side who have won back-to-back championships, including a league-cup double boasting 30 wins from 32 matches?

Recruit a group of former professionals that have competed at the top tier of club and international soccer as you target additional silverware.

A Manchester club boasts an amateur vets squad with 9 ex- Premier League players in their present lineup.

222 Premier League Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five International Caps

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

Their lineup this campaign boasts 9 former top-flight footballers, with a combined 1,801 elite matches.

The high-profile roster also boasts over 220 Premier League goals and over 320 global appearances.

The squad feature one forward, who scored 37 goals in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after moving to them for £9m from German league side Freiburg in 2012.

He had his debut for the team in their most recent home-field game against reigning title holders their rivals and scored all six goals in a 6-2 victory - including a half-hour opening period triple.

The team for this season also features ex- professionals such as English and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley winger George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former Premier League footballers have claimed 15 big trophies and transferred for total transfer sums of around £123 million.

Household Figures and International Stars

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

Ireland began turning out for the side in preseason this season through close mate and present Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the former Irish player then invited additional former professionals, who all play in a weekly small-sided game, to join in.

Ex- Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 goals in 65 Premier League matches for Everton and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also had his debut against Collegiate OB - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Blue training kit as their uniform.

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

"My mate Stephen said 'come and play, it's good fun'," said Niasse.

"After that he told me we were facing a side from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I saw them wearing Blue shirts - I thought this is wrong for me!

"If you still enjoy football and you feel you can still do it, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?

"The spectators who come and watch are happy and to give a moment if they see us competing there and to pose us queries - it's really about the joy of us getting somewhere we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

So great is the bench strength at the club, he had his debut at defender.

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

"I tell my centre-back 'I'm not hanging back' and that I'm just going to keep attacking.

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

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

'Surreal Experience

Along with Cisse's 6 goals on his first game, Stephen Ireland has netted 8 in 3 appearances for the side, while George Boyd scored five on his first appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a hat-trick in one match as a striker.

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

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

Figueroa has appeared at two global tournaments for Honduras, in addition to featuring in more than 200 top-flight matches.

"The news was going round like a rumor they had all these former top-flight players," remarked Barrow.

"I think I was a bit starstruck facing Figueroa to be honest.

"Also Emile [Heskey] came on and he's has 60-odd England appearances.

"Our side held our own for a good 20 mins but then we had a player dismissed and it was tough.

"We really haven't stopped chatting about it - I was phoning my mum and brother on the way home.

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

"Now we can't wait for the return match."

'We'll Still Take the Title'

The manager manages the Collegiate veterans team, who won the Top Division title last season, together with Paul Maguire.

"Our team scored 1-0 up and had a

Julia Cherry MD
Julia Cherry MD

Lena is a passionate content curator and community manager with over a decade of experience in online forums and collaborative knowledge platforms.