Meet this Weekend Division Squad Featuring Over 1,800 English Top Division Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The substitutes for the team Veterans in a six-two win against 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 enhance a outstanding veteran squad who have won consecutive titles, featuring a double triumph boasting 30 victories from 32 matches?

Bring in a group of former pro players who have performed at the highest tier of club and global soccer as you aim for further honors.

One Manchester club fields an non-professional vets squad with 9 ex- Premier League players in their current lineup.

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

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

The squad list this season boasts 9 ex- Premier League footballers, with a collective 1,801 Premier League matches.

The high-profile squad also contains over 220 Premier League scores and over 320 international caps.

They include one forward, who scored thirty-seven scores in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after joining them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in January 2012.

He had his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their last home match versus reigning title holders their rivals and netted every one of the six goals in a 6-2 victory - featuring a half-hour opening period triple.

The roster for this season also includes ex- professionals such as England and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former top-flight players have claimed 15 significant honors and moved for combined transfer sums of about £123m.

Well-Known Figures and International Players

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

Stephen Ireland started turning out for the team in preseason this season through good mate and current team player Blake Norton, and the former Irish midfielder then invited other ex-pros, who all play in a weekly small-sided game, to participate.

Ex- Senegalese striker Niasse, who netted twelve scores in 65 Premier League games for the Toffees and still goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also had his debut versus Collegiate OB - who are based in the city and use an Everton warm-up gear as their uniform.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
Oumar Niasse featured for Everton from 2016 and 2020

"A friend Stephen said 'join and have a game, it's enjoyable'," said Niasse.

"After that he informed me we were facing a side from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I saw them wearing Everton shirts - I say this is strange for me!

"If you still enjoy the game and you feel you can still do it, anywhere you can kick a ball, what are you going to choose?

"Those spectators who turn up and see are happy and to give someone's moment if they watch us competing there and to ask us queries - it's really about the pleasure of us getting somewhere we can play, with organisation of course."

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

"That's a little different but then, I love sprinting and just go inside - I'm not defending 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 defender Maynor Figueroa is playing for the team

'Surreal Experience

In addition to the forward's 6 scores on debut, Ireland has netted eight in 3 appearances for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd hit 5 on his debut appearance and Lescott, a centre-half by position, notched a hat-trick in one match up front.

The team are leading of the Top Tier with 3 wins from three and a goal difference of +19.

One opponent, thirty-eight, who features on the flank for the opposition, faced ex- Latics full-back Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young boy who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at 2 World Cups for Honduras, in as well as featuring in more than 200 Premier League games.

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

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

"Also Emile [Heskey] came on and he's has 60-odd English caps.

"Our side held our own for a good twenty mins but then we had a man dismissed and it was hard.

"Our group literally haven't stopped chatting about it - I was calling my mum and sibling on the journey home.

"The opponents were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the game - it was like playing a bunch of normal fellas.

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

We Will Still Take the League'

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

"We scored one-nil ahead and had a

John Mosley
John Mosley

A seasoned digital strategist with over a decade of experience in brand development and online marketing, passionate about driving business growth.