Discover this Sunday Division Club Boasting Over 1,800 Top-Flight Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for Wythenshawe Veterans during a six-two victory against their opponents on 19 October (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you enhance a outstanding veteran squad who have won back-to-back titles, featuring a league-cup double with 30 wins from thirty-two games?

Bring in a collection of ex- pro players who have played at the highest level of club football and international football as you aim for additional honors.

One Manchester team fields an non-professional veterans squad with 9 former Premier League footballers in their current roster.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Scores, 325 Global Caps

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

The lineup this season includes 9 former top-flight players, with a total 1,801 elite games.

This high-profile squad also boasts over 220 Premier League scores and over 320 international caps.

They include one forward, who notched 37 scores in 117 games for his former club after signing for them for nine million pounds from German league side Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse made his first appearance for the team in their most recent home-field game against reigning title holders Collegiate Old Boys and scored every one of the six goals in a 6-2 victory - including a half-hour opening period triple.

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

Together, the former Premier League footballers have claimed fifteen big trophies and transferred for combined transfer sums of about £123 million.

Famous Figures and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He won six Republic of Ireland caps, scoring 4 scores

Ireland began playing for the side in pre-season this season through close mate and present Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish midfielder then asked other former professionals, who all compete in a weekly small-sided game, to participate.

Former Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse, who scored 12 goals in sixty-five Premier League matches for the Toffees and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also made his first appearance against the opposition - who are located in Liverpool and use an Everton warm-up gear as their strip.

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

"A mate Stephen told me 'come and play, it's enjoyable'," said the striker.

"Then he told me we were playing a side from the city and the surprise I had when I saw them wearing Everton shirts - I thought this is strange for me!

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

"The people who come and see are happy and to make someone's day if they see us competing there and to pose us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us getting a place we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

Such is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse made his first game at defender.

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

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

"The movement is what I'm after. It's enjoyable."

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

Dreamlike' Experience

In addition to the forward's 6 scores on debut, Stephen Ireland has netted eight in three games for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd scored 5 on his first appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a hat-trick in one game up front.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Premier Tier with three wins from three and a GD of plus nineteen.

Paul Barrow, 38, who features on the flank for the opposition, came up against ex- Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his nine-year-old boy who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at 2 World Cups for his country, in addition to featuring in more than two hundred Premier League matches.

"It was spreading like wildfire they had all these ex-Premier League players," said Barrow.

"I felt I was a bit starstruck facing him to be honest.

"Even Heskey came on and he's got over 60 English caps.

"We competed well for a solid 20 mins but then we had a player dismissed and it was tough.

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

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

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

'We'll Still Take the League'

The manager coaches the Collegiate veterans team, who won the Premier Division championship last season, together with Paul Maguire.

"Our team scored 1-0 ahead and had a

David Williams
David Williams

A productivity coach and mindfulness advocate with over a decade of experience helping professionals optimize their workflow and mental clarity.