Meet this Sunday League Team With 1,800 Top-Flight Appearances

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

How do you improve a stellar veteran side who have secured consecutive championships, including a league-cup double boasting 30 victories from thirty-two matches?

Recruit a collection of former pro players who have performed at the highest tier of club football and international soccer as you aim for additional honors.

One Manchester team boasts an amateur vets squad with 9 former Premier League players in their current lineup.

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

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

The squad list this season features nine former Premier League footballers, with a total nearly 1,800 Premier League games.

This high-profile squad also includes over 220 Premier League scores and over 320 international caps.

They feature Papiss Cisse, who scored thirty-seven scores in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after joining them for £9m from German league side SC Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse made his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their last home game versus defending title holders Collegiate Old Boys and netted every one of the six goals in a six-two victory - featuring a half-hour opening period triple.

Wythenshawe's team for this season also features former pros such as English and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the ex- top-flight footballers have won 15 big trophies and moved for total transfer fees of approximately £123m.

Household Figures and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He won six Irish caps, scoring 4 scores

Ireland began playing for the team during preseason this season through close mate and present Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish player then asked other ex-pros, who all compete in a weekly nine-a-side game, to participate.

Former Senegalese forward Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 scores in sixty-five Premier League matches for the Toffees and even now goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also made his debut against the opposition - who are located in the city and wear an Blue warm-up gear as their strip.

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

"A friend Stephen Ireland told me 'join and have a game, it's enjoyable'," commented the striker.

"After that he told me we were facing a team from the city and the surprise I had when I saw them sporting Everton kits - I say this is strange for me!

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

"Those spectators who come and watch are happy and to give a moment if they watch us competing there and to ask us questions - it's really about the joy of us having somewhere we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

Such is the strength in depth at the club, Niasse made his first game at defender.

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

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa is playing for Wythenshawe

Unreal Scenario

In addition to the forward's 6 scores on his first game, Stephen Ireland has scored eight in three appearances for Wythenshawe, while Boyd scored 5 on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by position, scored a triple in one game as a striker.

Wythenshawe are top of the Top Division with three wins from 3 and a GD of plus nineteen.

One opponent, thirty-eight, who features on the flank for Collegiate OB, faced former Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his nine-year-old son who Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at 2 global tournaments for Honduras, in as well as featuring in more than 200 top-flight games.

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

"I felt I was a little starstruck playing against Figueroa to be honest.

"Even Heskey got on and he's got 60-odd English caps.

"Our side held our own for a solid twenty minutes but then we had a man dismissed and it was tough.

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

"The opponents were all friendly, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a group of normal fellas.

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

We Will Still Take the League'

The manager coaches the opposition veterans side, who won the Premier Tier title last season, along with Paul Maguire.

"Our team went 1-0 ahead and had a

Kimberly Owens
Kimberly Owens

Eleanor is a freelance food writer and urban gardener based in East London.