Meet this Weekend League Team Featuring Over 1,800 Premier League Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for the team Vets in a 6-2 victory against their opponents on 19 October (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you boost a excellent experienced squad who have secured back-to-back titles, featuring a double triumph boasting thirty wins from thirty-two games?

Recruit a group of ex- professionals who have performed at the top level of club and international football as you pursue further trophies.

A Greater Manchester side boasts an non-professional veterans team with nine ex- Premier League footballers in their present lineup.

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

The team Vets Over 35s are based in southern the city and compete in the Cheshire Veterans League Premier Tier.

The roster this season features 9 former top-flight footballers, with a collective nearly 1,800 elite appearances.

This star-studded roster also contains 222 top division scores and 325 international appearances.

The squad feature one forward, who notched 37 goals in 117 games for Newcastle United after moving to them for £9m from Bundesliga club Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse had his debut for Wythenshawe in their most recent home game against reigning champions their rivals and netted all six scores in a six-two win - featuring a 32-minute first-half hat-trick.

The squad for this season also includes former pros such as English and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley winger George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the ex- Premier League footballers have claimed fifteen significant honors and transferred for combined transfer fees of about £123m.

Well-Known Names and International Stars

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

Ireland began turning out for the team in preseason this summer through close mate and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland midfielder then invited additional ex-pros, who all play in a weekly nine-a-side game, to participate.

Ex- Senegal forward Niasse, who scored 12 scores in sixty-five top-flight games for Everton and even now goes to their home games, also made his debut versus Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and wear an Blue warm-up gear as their strip.

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

"My friend Stephen Ireland said 'come and have a game, it's good fun'," said Niasse.

"After that he informed me we were playing a team from Liverpool and the shock I had when I noticed them sporting Blue kits - I say this is strange for me!

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

"Those spectators who turn up and see are pleased and to give someone's day if they watch us playing there and to pose us queries - it's really about the joy of us having a place we can play, with structure of course."

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

"That's a little different but then, I enjoy running and just go forward - I'm not defending that much," he said.

"I tell my centre-back 'I'm not hanging back' and that I'm just going to keep attacking.

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

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

Unreal Scenario

In addition to the forward's six scores on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored eight in 3 appearances for the side, while Boyd scored five on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by position, notched a triple in one game as a striker.

The team are leading of the Top Division with 3 wins from three and a goal difference of plus nineteen.

One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the wing for the opposition, faced ex- Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his young son who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at 2 World Cups for his country, in addition to featuring in more than 200 Premier League games.

"It was going round like wildfire they had these former top-flight stars," said Barrow.

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

"Also Emile [Heskey] came on and he's has over 60 England appearances.

"Our side held our own for a solid 20 mins but then we had a player dismissed and it was hard.

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

"The opponents were all really nice, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a bunch of regular fellas.

"Now we are eager for the return match."

'We'll Still Take the League'

Andy Kirby coaches the Collegiate vets team, who secured the Top Tier title the previous campaign, together with Paul Maguire.

"Our team went 1-0 ahead and had a

Amanda Bush
Amanda Bush

Elara Vance is a tech journalist and innovation analyst with over a decade of experience covering emerging technologies and startup ecosystems across Europe.