Discover this Weekend League Club Featuring Nearly Two Thousand English Top Division Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for Wythenshawe Vets in a six-two triumph versus their opponents on 19 October (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you boost a excellent experienced squad that have claimed consecutive championships, featuring a league-cup double boasting thirty victories from 32 games?

Recruit a group of former pro players that have competed at the highest tier of club football and global soccer as you aim for additional silverware.

A Greater Manchester side boasts an amateur vets team with 9 former top-flight players in their active squad.

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

Wythenshawe Vets Over-35s are located in southern Manchester and compete in the Cheshire-based Vets Division Premier Division.

The lineup this season boasts 9 former Premier League players, with a collective over 1,800 top-flight games.

This elite squad also includes over 220 top division goals and over 320 international caps.

The squad include one forward, who scored thirty-seven scores in over 100 games for Newcastle United after joining them for nine million pounds from German league club Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse made his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their most recent home game against reigning title holders their rivals and netted every one of the six scores in a 6-2 victory - including a half-hour first-half hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's roster for this campaign also includes former pros such as England and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the former top-flight players have claimed fifteen significant trophies and moved for combined transfer sums of about £123m.

Well-Known Names and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He won 6 Republic of Ireland appearances, netting 4 goals

Ireland began turning out for the team in pre-season this summer through good friend and current team teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish midfielder then invited additional ex-pros, who all play in a weekly nine-a-side game, to participate.

Former Senegal forward Niasse, who scored twelve scores in sixty-five top-flight matches for Everton and still goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also had his debut versus the opposition - who are based in Liverpool and wear an Blue warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

"A mate Stephen told me 'join and play, it's a laugh'," commented the striker.

"Then he informed me we were playing a team from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I noticed them wearing Everton kits - I thought this is strange for me!

"When you still love the game and you know you can still do it, anywhere you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?

"The people who turn up and see are happy and to make a moment if they watch us playing there and to ask us queries - it's more like the pleasure of us getting somewhere we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

Such is the squad depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse made his first game at full-back.

"That's a little unusual but then, I enjoy sprinting and just go inside - I'm not staying back that much," he said.

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is turning out for the team

Unreal Scenario

Along with Cisse's six goals on debut, Ireland has netted eight in three games for the side, while Boyd scored 5 on his first appearance and Lescott, a defender by trade, scored a hat-trick in one game as a striker.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Top Division with three wins from 3 and a GD of +19.

Paul Barrow, 38, who plays on the wing for Collegiate OB, faced ex- Latics defender Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his young son who Emile Heskey was.

He has appeared at two global tournaments for his country, in addition to playing in over 200 Premier League games.

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

"I felt I was a little starstruck playing against him to be honest.

"Even Heskey came on and he's got 60-odd England appearances.

"We competed well for a good 20 minutes but then we had a man sent off and it was tough.

"Our group literally haven't stopped chatting about it - I was phoning my mum and sibling on the journey home.

"They were all friendly, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a bunch of regular fellas.

"Now we are eager for the return fixture."

'We'll Still Win the Title'

Andy Kirby coaches the Collegiate vets team, who secured the Premier Tier championship the previous campaign, along with Paul Maguire.

"We went one-nil up and had a

Bonnie Hatfield
Bonnie Hatfield

A seasoned casino strategist with over a decade of experience in gaming analytics and jackpot optimization.