Discover this Weekend Division Club With Over 1,800 Premier League Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for Wythenshawe Veterans during a 6-2 victory against Collegiate Old Boys on 19 October (from left to right) - one player, another, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you improve a stellar veteran team who have secured consecutive titles, including a double triumph boasting thirty wins from 32 matches?

Recruit a group of former professionals that have performed at the elite tier of club and global soccer as you target further honors.

One Greater Manchester team fields an amateur vets squad with nine former top-flight footballers in their current roster.

222 Premier League Scores, Three Hundred Twenty-Five International Caps

Wythenshawe Vets Over-35s are located in south the city and play in the Cheshire Vets League Premier Tier.

Their lineup this season includes nine ex- Premier League players, with a total over 1,800 top-flight games.

This star-studded squad also contains 222 top division goals and 325 international appearances.

They feature Papiss Cisse, who scored thirty-seven goals in 117 appearances for Newcastle United after moving to them for nine million pounds from German league side Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse had his debut for Wythenshawe in their most recent home-field match against reigning title holders their rivals and scored every one of the six goals in a six-two win - including a 32-minute first-half triple.

The team for this season also includes ex- pros such as English and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the former top-flight footballers have secured fifteen major trophies and moved for combined transfer sums of around £123m.

Famous Names and Global Players

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

Stephen Ireland started playing for the side in preseason this summer through good mate and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the former Irish player then asked additional former professionals, who all compete in a weekly small-sided match, to join in.

Former Senegalese forward 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 made his debut versus the opposition - who are located in the city and wear an Blue warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

"My friend Stephen said 'join and have a game, it's good fun'," commented the striker.

"After that he informed me we were playing a team from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I saw them wearing Blue kits - I thought this is strange for me!

"When you still enjoy football and you feel you can still do it, wherever you can play, what are you going to do?

"The fans who turn up and watch are happy and to make someone's moment if they watch us competing there and to pose us queries - it's really about the pleasure of us getting somewhere we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

So great is the bench strength at the club, he made his debut at full-back.

"That's a little unusual but then, I enjoy sprinting and just move inside - I'm not staying back that much," he added.

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

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

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

'Surreal Scenario

Along with Cisse's six goals on his first game, Ireland has netted eight in 3 appearances for the side, while George Boyd hit 5 on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a defender by trade, notched a hat-trick in one match up front.

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

One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the flank for the opposition, came up against ex- Wigan full-back Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his young son who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at 2 World Cups for Honduras, in as well as playing in over 200 top-flight games.

"It was spreading like a rumor they had these former top-flight stars," remarked Barrow.

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

"Also Heskey got on and he's has 60-odd English appearances.

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

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

"The opponents were all friendly, shaking our hands after the match - it was like facing a bunch of regular guys.

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

We Will Still Win the Title'

The manager coaches the Collegiate veterans side, who won the Top Tier championship the previous campaign, together with Paul Maguire.

"Our team went 1-0 up and had a

Michael Fox
Michael Fox

A seasoned gaming enthusiast with over a decade of experience in reviewing online casinos and sharing betting insights.