Meet the Sunday Division Team With Over 1,800 Premier League Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This substitutes for Wythenshawe Vets in a 6-2 triumph versus Collegiate Old Boys on October 19th (from left to right) - one player, Papiss Cisse, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you enhance a stellar experienced team that have claimed consecutive titles, including a double triumph with thirty victories from thirty-two games?

Bring in a group of former pro players that have played at the elite level of club and global soccer as you pursue additional trophies.

A Manchester club fields an non-professional veterans team with nine former Premier League footballers in their present squad.

222 Top Division Scores, 325 Global Caps

Wythenshawe Vets Over-35s are located in southern the city and play in the Cheshire Veterans League Top Division.

The squad list this season includes nine former Premier League players, with a combined nearly 1,800 top-flight games.

This star-studded team also boasts 222 Premier League scores and 325 global caps.

They include Papiss Cisse, who scored 37 scores in over 100 appearances for his former club after joining them for nine million pounds from German league side Freiburg in 2012.

He made his debut for Wythenshawe in their most recent home game against reigning title holders their rivals and netted every one of the six scores in a six-two victory - featuring a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's squad for this season also features ex- professionals such as England and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the ex- top-flight players have won 15 major trophies and moved for combined transfer sums of around £123m.

Well-Known Figures and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland won six Republic of Ireland caps, netting 4 goals

Stephen Ireland began playing for the team in preseason this season through close friend and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then asked additional former professionals, who all play in a midweek nine-a-side match, to join in.

Ex- Senegal striker Oumar Niasse, who netted twelve scores in sixty-five top-flight games for the Toffees and even now goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also had his debut against Collegiate OB - who are based in Liverpool and use an Everton warm-up gear as their strip.

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

"My friend Stephen Ireland told me 'join and play, it's enjoyable'," commented the striker.

"Then he told me we were facing a team from Liverpool and the shock I had when I noticed them wearing Blue kits - I thought this is wrong for me!

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

"Those fans who turn up and watch are pleased and to give a moment if they see us playing there and to ask us queries - it's more like the pleasure of us getting a place we can play, with structure of course."

Such is the bench strength at Wythenshawe, Niasse made his debut at full-back.

"It's a little different but then, I enjoy sprinting and just go forward - I'm not defending that much," he added.

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa is turning out for the team

'Surreal Experience

In addition to Cisse's 6 goals on his first game, Stephen Ireland has scored 8 in 3 appearances for Wythenshawe, while Boyd scored five on his first appearance and Lescott, a centre-half by position, notched a hat-trick in one match as a striker.

The team are top of the Premier Tier with three victories from three and a goal difference of plus nineteen.

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

He has played at 2 global tournaments for Honduras, in as well as featuring in over two hundred top-flight games.

"It was spreading like a rumor they had these ex-Premier League players," remarked the player.

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

"Also Heskey got on and he's has over 60 England appearances.

"We competed well for a good twenty mins but then we had a player dismissed and it was hard.

"Our group literally have not stopped chatting about it - I was phoning my mother and brother on the journey home.

"They were all friendly, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a group of regular fellas.

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

'We'll Still Win the League'

Andy Kirby coaches the Collegiate veterans side, who secured the Top Division title the previous campaign, together with Paul Maguire.

"We scored 1-0 up and had a

Lisa Ballard
Lisa Ballard

Liam is a seasoned career coach and writer with over a decade of experience helping professionals achieve their goals.