Introduce the Weekend League Team Featuring 1,800 Premier League Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This substitutes for the team Veterans in a 6-2 triumph against their opponents on 19 October (left to right) - one player, another, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you enhance a outstanding veteran team that have secured back-to-back championships, featuring a league-cup double boasting thirty victories from 32 games?

Sign a raft of former pro players who have performed at the top tier of club football and international soccer as you target more silverware.

One Manchester club boasts an amateur veterans squad with nine ex- Premier League footballers in their present squad.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Goals, 325 International Appearances

Wythenshawe Veterans Over-35s are located in southern the city and compete in the Cheshire-based Vets League Top Tier.

Their squad list this campaign features 9 ex- top-flight footballers, with a total nearly 1,800 elite games.

This elite roster also boasts 222 top division scores and 325 international appearances.

They include one forward, who netted 37 goals in 117 games for Newcastle United after moving to them for £9m from German league club Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse made his debut for the team in their most recent home game versus defending champions their rivals and netted every one of the six scores in a six-two victory - featuring a 32-minute opening period triple.

The squad for this season also features ex- professionals such as England and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley winger George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the ex- Premier League players have won fifteen significant trophies and moved for total transfer fees of approximately £123m.

Household Figures and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned 6 Republic of Ireland appearances, scoring four goals

Stephen Ireland started playing for the side during pre-season this season through good friend and present Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish midfielder then invited additional former professionals, who all play in a midweek small-sided game, to join in.

Ex- Senegalese striker Niasse, who netted twelve scores in 65 top-flight games for Everton and still attends their matches at Goodison Park, also had his debut versus the opposition - who are located in the city and use an Blue training kit as their strip.

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

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

"Then he told me we were playing a team from Liverpool and the shock I had when I noticed them wearing Everton shirts - I say this is strange for me!

"When you still love football and you feel you can still do it, anywhere you can play, 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 pose us queries - it's really about the joy of us getting a place we can play, with structure of course."

So great is the squad depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse made his debut at defender.

"That's a little different but then, I love running and just go forward - I'm not defending that much," he added.

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa is playing for Wythenshawe

Dreamlike' Experience

In addition to Cisse's 6 goals on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored 8 in 3 games for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd scored 5 on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a defender by position, notched a triple in one game up front.

Wythenshawe are top of the Top Division with three victories from three and a goal difference of +19.

Paul Barrow, 38, who features on the wing for Collegiate OB, faced former Wigan full-back Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his nine-year-old son who Emile Heskey was.

He has appeared at 2 World Cups for Honduras, in addition to playing in more than 200 Premier League games.

"It was going round like a rumor they had all these former top-flight players," said the player.

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

"Even Heskey got on and he's has over 60 English appearances.

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

"We literally have not ceased talking about it - I was phoning my mum and sibling on the way home.

"They were all really nice, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a bunch of normal fellas.

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

'We'll Still Take the League'

Andy Kirby manages the Collegiate vets side, who won the Top Tier title last season, along with his co-manager.

"Our team went one-nil up and had a

Samuel Rosales
Samuel Rosales

A seasoned journalist exploring global trends and cultures with a passion for storytelling.