Meet this Weekend League Club Boasting 1,800 English Top Division Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for Wythenshawe Vets during a 6-2 triumph versus Collegiate Old Boys on October 19th (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, another, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you boost a excellent experienced team that have claimed consecutive titles, including a double triumph boasting thirty wins from 32 matches?

Sign a group of ex- professionals that have performed at the elite tier of club and international soccer as you pursue additional honors.

One Greater Manchester club fields an non-professional vets team with 9 ex- top-flight players in their active squad.

222 Top Division Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five International Appearances

The team Veterans Over 35s are located in south Manchester and play in the Cheshire Veterans Division Premier Tier.

The lineup this campaign boasts 9 ex- Premier League players, with a total 1,801 elite games.

This elite roster also boasts 222 top division scores and over 320 international appearances.

The squad include one forward, who notched 37 scores in over 100 games for his former club after signing for them for £9m from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse made his debut for Wythenshawe in their last home-field game against defending title holders Collegiate Old Boys and scored every one of the six scores in a six-two win - featuring a 32-minute first-half hat-trick.

The squad for this campaign also features former pros such as English and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley winger George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the former Premier League players have claimed 15 major honors and transferred for combined transfer fees of about £123 million.

Famous Names and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland won six Republic of Ireland appearances, netting 4 scores

Ireland started playing for the side in preseason this season through good mate and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then asked additional ex-pros, who all play in a midweek small-sided match, to join in.

Ex- Senegalese forward Niasse, who netted 12 scores in sixty-five Premier League matches for Everton and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also had his debut against the opposition - who are based in the city and wear an Everton warm-up gear as their strip.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
He played for Everton between 2016 and 2020

"My friend Stephen told me 'join and have a game, it's good fun'," commented Niasse.

"Then he informed me we were facing a side from the city and the shock I had when I noticed them sporting Blue kits - I thought this is wrong for me!

"When you still love the game and you know you can still play, wherever you can play, what are you going to do?

"The spectators who come and watch are happy and to give someone's day if they see us competing there and to ask us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us having somewhere we can play, with organisation of course."

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

"It's a bit unusual but then, I enjoy running and just go inside - I'm not staying back that much," he said.

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

"That movement is what I'm looking for. It's good fun."

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

Dreamlike' Scenario

Along with Cisse's six scores on debut, Ireland has scored eight in 3 appearances for Wythenshawe, while Boyd scored five on his debut appearance and Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a triple in one game as a striker.

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

One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the wing for Collegiate OB, faced former Wigan 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 addition to playing in more than 200 Premier League games.

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

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

"Even Emile [Heskey] got on and he's got over 60 English appearances.

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

"Our group literally haven't ceased chatting about it - I was phoning my mother and sibling on the journey home.

"They were all friendly, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a bunch of normal guys.

"Now we are eager for the second fixture."

We Will Still Take the Title'

The manager coaches the Collegiate veterans side, who secured the Premier Division championship the previous campaign, along with his co-manager.

"We went 1-0 ahead and had a

Gregory Walker MD
Gregory Walker MD

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