Discover the Sunday Division Team Featuring 1,800 Top-Flight Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The substitutes for the team Veterans in a six-two win against Collegiate Old Boys on October 19th (from left to right) - one player, another, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you enhance a excellent experienced team that have secured back-to-back championships, featuring a league-cup double with 30 victories from 32 matches?

Recruit a collection of ex- professionals that have played at the highest level of club and international football as you pursue further silverware.

A Manchester team fields an amateur vets squad with nine ex- Premier League players in their current lineup.

222 Premier League Goals, 325 Global Caps

Wythenshawe Veterans Over-35s are located in south Manchester and play in the Cheshire Veterans Division Top Tier.

The roster this campaign boasts nine former Premier League footballers, with a collective nearly 1,800 Premier League appearances.

This star-studded roster also includes over 220 top division scores and over 320 global caps.

They feature one forward, who netted thirty-seven goals in over 100 games for his former club after signing for them for £9m from German league side Freiburg in January 2012.

He made his debut for Wythenshawe in their last home-field game against defending champions their rivals and netted every one of the six scores in a six-two win - including a half-hour first-half hat-trick.

The roster for this campaign also features former professionals such as England and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the ex- top-flight players have won 15 significant honors and moved for combined transfer sums of around £123m.

Household Names and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned 6 Republic of Ireland caps, scoring four goals

Ireland began turning out for the side in pre-season this summer through close mate and current team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Irish midfielder then invited other ex-pros, who all play in a midweek small-sided match, to participate.

Former Senegalese forward Oumar Niasse, who scored twelve goals in 65 Premier League matches for the Toffees and even now goes to their home games, also made his first appearance versus the opposition - who are located in the city and use an Blue warm-up gear as their strip.

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

"A mate Stephen Ireland said 'join and play, it's a laugh'," commented Niasse.

"Then he told me we were playing a side from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I noticed them sporting Everton kits - I say this is strange for me!

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

"The spectators who turn up and watch are happy and to give someone's day if they watch us playing there and to ask us queries - it's really about the joy of us having somewhere we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

Such is the squad depth at the club, he had his debut at full-back.

"It's a bit unusual but then, I enjoy sprinting and just move 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.

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

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

Unreal Experience

Along with Cisse's 6 scores on debut, Ireland has scored eight in three games for Wythenshawe, while Boyd scored 5 on his debut match and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by position, notched a triple in one match up front.

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

One opponent, thirty-eight, who features on the flank for the opposition, came up against ex- Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his young son who Heskey was.

He has played at two global tournaments for his country, in addition to playing in more than two hundred top-flight matches.

"It was going round like wildfire they had all these ex-Premier League stars," said Barrow.

"I felt I was a little awestruck playing against him to be honest.

"Even Emile [Heskey] came on and he's has 60-odd England appearances.

"We competed well for a good 20 minutes but then we had a player dismissed and it was tough.

"We really have not stopped talking 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 regular fellas.

"Now we are eager for the second match."

We Will Still Win the Title'

The manager coaches the Collegiate vets side, who secured the Top Tier championship last season, together with his co-manager.

"Our team scored one-nil up and had a

Kristina Rodgers
Kristina Rodgers

A tech enthusiast and lifestyle blogger passionate about sharing innovative ideas and inspiring stories.