Discover this Weekend Division Club With 1,800 Top-Flight Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The substitutes for Wythenshawe Vets in a six-two win against Collegiate Old Boys on 19 October (from left to right) - one player, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How can you enhance a excellent veteran side who have secured back-to-back championships, featuring a double triumph boasting thirty victories from thirty-two matches?

Bring in a collection of ex- pro players who have competed at the top level of club football and global soccer as you aim for further honors.

A Greater Manchester club boasts an amateur vets squad with nine ex- top-flight players in their active roster.

222 Top Division Scores, 325 International Caps

Wythenshawe Vets Over 35s are situated in south the city and compete in the Cheshire Vets Division Top Division.

The roster this campaign features 9 former Premier League footballers, with a combined nearly 1,800 top-flight appearances.

This star-studded roster also boasts over 220 Premier League scores and over 320 global appearances.

The squad include Papiss Cisse, who netted 37 goals in 117 games for his former club after joining them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in January 2012.

He made his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their most recent home-field game versus defending champions their rivals and netted every one of the six scores in a 6-2 win - including a 32-minute opening period triple.

The roster for this campaign also features ex- pros such as English and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley winger George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the former Premier League footballers have secured fifteen significant trophies and moved for total transfer sums of around £123 million.

Household Figures and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland won 6 Irish appearances, scoring four goals

Ireland began playing for the team during preseason this summer through good friend and current Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland midfielder then invited additional former professionals, who all compete in a midweek small-sided match, to join in.

Former Senegalese striker Niasse, who netted 12 goals in 65 top-flight matches for Everton and even now goes to their home games, also made his debut versus 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 Everton from 2016 and 2020

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

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

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

"Those spectators who come and watch are pleased and to make someone's day if they see us playing there and to pose us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us getting a place we can play, with structure of course."

Such is the strength in depth at the club, he made his first game at full-back.

"It's a little different but then, I enjoy running and just move forward - I'm not defending that much," he said.

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

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

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

Unreal Feeling

Along with the forward's six goals on his first game, Ireland has scored 8 in three appearances for the side, while George Boyd hit 5 on his debut appearance and Lescott, a defender by position, notched a triple in one game up front.

The team are leading of the Top Tier with 3 wins from three and a GD of +19.

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who plays on the wing for the opposition, came up against former Latics full-back Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his young boy who Emile Heskey was.

He has appeared at 2 global tournaments for Honduras, in as well as featuring in over 200 Premier League matches.

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

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

"Also Emile [Heskey] got on and he's has over 60 England caps.

"Our side competed well for a solid twenty mins but then we had a player sent off and it was tough.

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

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

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

We Will Still Win the League'

Andy Kirby coaches the Collegiate vets team, who secured the Premier Tier title last season, together with his co-manager.

"Our team scored 1-0 ahead and had a

Ashley Scott
Ashley Scott

A passionate gaming journalist with over a decade of experience covering industry trends and reviewing AAA titles.