Introduce the Weekend League Squad Featuring Nearly Two Thousand Top-Flight Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for Wythenshawe Vets in a 6-2 victory versus their opponents on October 19th (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you improve a outstanding veteran side who have won consecutive titles, including a double triumph with 30 victories from 32 matches?

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

One Greater Manchester side fields an non-professional veterans team with 9 ex- Premier League players in their active squad.

222 Top Division Scores, Three Hundred Twenty-Five Global Appearances

Wythenshawe Veterans Over 35s are located in southern Manchester and play in the Cheshire Vets Division Premier Division.

The squad list this campaign boasts 9 former Premier League footballers, with a total nearly 1,800 elite appearances.

The high-profile roster also contains over 220 top division goals and 325 global caps.

They feature one forward, who netted 37 scores in 117 games for Newcastle United after signing for them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse had his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their last home match against reigning champions their rivals and netted all six goals in a six-two win - including a 32-minute opening period triple.

Wythenshawe's squad for this campaign also features former pros such as English and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the former top-flight players have secured fifteen significant honors and moved for total transfer fees of around £123m.

Well-Known Names and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland won six Irish caps, netting 4 goals

Ireland began turning out for the side in preseason this summer through close mate and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland midfielder then asked additional former professionals, who all compete in a midweek small-sided match, to participate.

Ex- Senegal striker Niasse, who scored twelve scores in 65 top-flight matches for the Toffees and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also had his debut versus Collegiate OB - who are based in the city and wear an Blue training kit as their strip.

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

"A mate Stephen said 'join and have a game, it's good fun'," commented Niasse.

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

"When you still love the game and you know you can still do it, anywhere you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?

"Those people who turn up and watch are pleased and to make a day if they watch us competing there and to ask us queries - it's more like the pleasure of us having a place we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

Such is the strength in depth at the club, he had his debut at defender.

"That's a bit unusual but then, I love sprinting and just go forward - I'm not defending that much," he said.

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

"The running is what I'm after. It's good fun."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan full-back 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 games for the side, while George Boyd scored five on his first appearance and Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a hat-trick in one game as a striker.

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

One opponent, 38, who plays on the wing for the opposition, faced ex- Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his nine-year-old son who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at two World Cups for his country, in as well as playing in more than two hundred top-flight matches.

"The news was spreading like wildfire they had these ex-Premier League stars," remarked the player.

"I think I was a bit starstruck playing against him to be honest.

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

"We held our own for a good twenty mins but then we had a player sent off and it was hard.

"Our group really haven't stopped 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 group of normal guys.

"Now we are eager for the second match."

We Will Still Win the Title'

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

"Our team scored 1-0 ahead and had a

Steven Harris
Steven Harris

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