Introduce this Sunday League Club With 1,800 Top-Flight Appearances

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

How do you enhance a excellent experienced team who have claimed consecutive championships, featuring a league-cup double with 30 wins from thirty-two games?

Bring in a group of ex- professionals that have performed at the elite tier of club football and global football as you aim for additional honors.

One Greater Manchester team has an non-professional veterans team with 9 ex- top-flight players in their current roster.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Scores, 325 Global Caps

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

Their roster this season features 9 former top-flight players, with a collective nearly 1,800 Premier League appearances.

The high-profile squad also boasts over 220 top division goals and over 320 international caps.

They include Papiss Cisse, who scored 37 goals in over 100 games for Newcastle United after signing for them for £9m from German league side Freiburg in January 2012.

He made his debut for Wythenshawe in their most recent home game versus defending champions Collegiate Old Boys and netted every one of the six scores in a six-two victory - featuring a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's team for this season also features ex- pros such as English and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the ex- top-flight players have secured fifteen big trophies and moved for combined transfer sums of about £123m.

Well-Known Names and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned six Republic of Ireland caps, netting four goals

Ireland started playing for the side during pre-season this summer through close friend and current Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the former Irish midfielder then asked additional former professionals, who all compete in a midweek nine-a-side game, to participate.

Former Senegal striker Oumar Niasse, who scored twelve goals in 65 top-flight games for Everton and still goes to their home games, also made his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and use an Blue training kit as their strip.

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

"A friend Stephen Ireland said 'join and play, it's good fun'," commented Niasse.

"After that he informed me we were playing a team from the city and the shock I had when I noticed them wearing Everton kits - I thought this is wrong for me!

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

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

So great is the strength in depth at the club, he had his first game at full-back.

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

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

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

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

'Surreal Scenario

Along with the forward's 6 goals on debut, Stephen Ireland has netted eight in 3 appearances for the side, while George Boyd hit five on his first appearance and Joleon Lescott, a defender by trade, scored a hat-trick in one match as a striker.

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

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who plays on the wing for Collegiate OB, came up against ex- Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his nine-year-old son who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at two World Cups for his country, in as well as featuring in over 200 top-flight games.

"The news was going round like a rumor they had these ex-Premier League stars," said the player.

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

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

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

"Our group really have not ceased talking about it - I was phoning my mother and sibling on the way home.

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

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

We Will Still Win the Title'

Andy Kirby manages the opposition vets side, who secured the Premier Tier championship the previous campaign, together with his co-manager.

"Our team scored 1-0 ahead and had a

Shawn Ferguson
Shawn Ferguson

A logistics consultant with over 12 years of experience in UK supply chain optimization and sustainable transport solutions.