Introduce the Sunday Division Squad With 1,800 Top-Flight Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for Wythenshawe Vets in a six-two triumph against Collegiate Old Boys on 19 October (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How can you boost a excellent veteran side who have secured back-to-back titles, including a double triumph boasting thirty victories from thirty-two games?

Sign a group of ex- professionals that have competed at the highest tier of club football and international soccer as you aim for additional honors.

A Manchester side has an non-professional veterans team with nine ex- top-flight footballers in their active roster.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five Global Appearances

Wythenshawe Veterans Over 35s are based in south the city and play in the Cheshire-based Vets Division Top Tier.

The lineup this campaign boasts nine former Premier League players, with a combined over 1,800 Premier League games.

This star-studded team also contains over 220 Premier League goals and over 320 international caps.

They include Papiss Cisse, who netted 37 scores in over 100 appearances for his former club after joining them for £9m from German league side SC Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse had his debut for Wythenshawe in their most recent home match against reigning title holders Collegiate Old Boys and netted all six goals in a 6-2 victory - featuring a 32-minute first-half hat-trick.

The roster for this season also includes former pros such as England and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the ex- Premier League players have won 15 major honors and transferred for combined transfer fees of about £123 million.

Famous Figures and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He won 6 Irish appearances, scoring four scores

Stephen Ireland started playing for the team in pre-season this summer through close friend and current team teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland player then asked additional former professionals, who all play in a midweek small-sided match, to join in.

Former Senegalese forward Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 scores in sixty-five top-flight games for Everton and still goes to their home games, also had his debut against Collegiate OB - who are based in the city and wear an Blue training kit as their strip.

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

"My mate Stephen told me 'come and play, it's a laugh'," said the striker.

"Then he told me we were playing a team from the city and the surprise I had when I saw them sporting Blue shirts - I thought this is strange for me!

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

"The people who turn up and see are happy and to make someone's day if they watch us competing there and to pose us questions - it's really about the pleasure of us getting a place we can play, with structure of course."

So great is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse made his first game at defender.

"It's a bit different but then, I enjoy sprinting and just go forward - I'm not defending that much," he added.

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa is playing for Wythenshawe

Unreal Experience

Along with Cisse's six scores on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored eight in three appearances for the side, while George Boyd scored 5 on his debut appearance and Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a triple in one game as a striker.

Wythenshawe are top of the Premier Division with three wins from three and a goal difference of plus nineteen.

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

He has played at 2 global tournaments for Honduras, in as well as featuring in more than 200 top-flight matches.

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

"I think I was a little awestruck playing against Figueroa to be honest.

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

"We competed well for a solid twenty mins but then we had a player sent off and it was hard.

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

"They 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'll Still Win the Title'

Andy Kirby manages the opposition veterans side, who secured the Premier Division title the previous campaign, along with his co-manager.

"Our team went one-nil up and had a

Charles Allen
Charles Allen

A tech journalist and digital strategist with over a decade of experience covering emerging technologies and their impact on business.