Introduce the Sunday League Team Boasting Over 1,800 Premier League Matches

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

What can you enhance a excellent veteran team who have secured consecutive championships, including a league-cup double boasting thirty wins from 32 matches?

Sign a group of former professionals that have competed at the elite tier of club and global football as you pursue further honors.

A Greater Manchester side boasts an non-professional vets team with 9 ex- top-flight footballers in their current squad.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Goals, 325 International Caps

The team Vets Over 35s are situated in south the city and play in the Cheshire Veterans Division Top Tier.

Their roster this campaign boasts 9 ex- Premier League footballers, with a total over 1,800 elite appearances.

The elite squad also boasts 222 top division goals and 325 global caps.

The squad include Papiss Cisse, who netted 37 goals in over 100 games for his former club after signing for them for nine million pounds from German league club SC Freiburg in 2012.

He had his debut for Wythenshawe in their last home-field game versus defending champions their rivals and netted all six scores in a six-two win - including a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's team for this campaign also features former pros such as England and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley winger George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the ex- top-flight footballers have claimed fifteen significant honors and moved for combined transfer fees of around £123m.

Household Names and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He won six Republic of Ireland caps, scoring four goals

Stephen Ireland began playing for the team during preseason this season through good friend and current Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish midfielder then asked other former professionals, who all play in a weekly small-sided game, to join in.

Former Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse, who scored 12 scores in sixty-five top-flight games for Everton and still goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also made his debut versus Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and use an Blue training kit as their uniform.

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

"A friend Stephen said 'come and play, it's enjoyable'," commented Niasse.

"After that he told me we were facing a team from the city and the surprise I had when I noticed them wearing Everton kits - I say this is wrong for me!

"If you still love football and you know you can still do it, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to choose?

"Those people who come and see are pleased and to make a moment if they watch us competing there and to pose us questions - it's really about the pleasure of us having a place we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

Such is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, he had his debut at defender.

"That's a bit unusual but then, I love running and just move forward - I'm not defending that much," he added.

"I tell my defender 'I'm not hanging back' and that I'm just going to continue running.

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is playing for Wythenshawe

Unreal Scenario

Along with the forward's six goals on his first game, Stephen Ireland has scored eight in three games for Wythenshawe, while Boyd scored five on his first appearance and Lescott, a defender by trade, scored a triple in one match up front.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Premier Division with three wins from 3 and a goal difference of +19.

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who plays on the wing for Collegiate OB, came up against former Latics defender Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his nine-year-old boy who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at two global tournaments for his country, in as well as playing in over 200 top-flight matches.

"The news was spreading like a rumor they had these former top-flight players," said Barrow.

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

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

"We competed well for a good twenty minutes but then we had a man sent off and it was hard.

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

"They were all friendly, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a group of normal guys.

"Now we are eager for the second match."

'We'll Still Win the Title'

Andy Kirby coaches the opposition vets team, who won the Premier Division title last season, together with his co-manager.

"We went one-nil up and had a

Nancy Hart
Nancy Hart

Alexandra is a freelance writer and life coach passionate about helping others achieve their goals through mindful living and continuous learning.