Discover the Weekend League Team Boasting Nearly Two Thousand Premier League Appearances

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

What do you improve a outstanding veteran squad that have secured consecutive titles, featuring a league-cup double with thirty wins from thirty-two games?

Sign a group of ex- pro players that have competed at the elite tier of club football and global football as you pursue more trophies.

A Greater Manchester team fields an non-professional vets squad with nine former top-flight players in their current roster.

222 Top Division Scores, 325 Global Caps

Wythenshawe Vets Over-35s are situated in south Manchester and play in the Cheshire Vets Division Top Division.

The lineup this campaign features nine ex- top-flight footballers, with a total nearly 1,800 Premier League games.

The elite team also includes over 220 top division goals and over 320 international caps.

The squad feature Papiss Cisse, who notched thirty-seven goals in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after moving to them for nine million pounds from German league club SC Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse had his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their last home-field game against defending title holders their rivals and scored all six goals in a six-two win - including a 32-minute opening period triple.

Wythenshawe's roster for this season also includes former pros such as English and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley winger George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former top-flight footballers have won fifteen major trophies and moved for total transfer fees of around £123 million.

Household Figures and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned 6 Irish caps, scoring four scores

Ireland began playing for the side during pre-season this season through good friend and present Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish player then invited other ex-pros, who all compete in a weekly nine-a-side game, to join in.

Former Senegal forward Oumar Niasse, who scored 12 scores in 65 Premier League matches for the Toffees and even now goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also had his debut versus Collegiate OB - who are based in Liverpool and use an Blue warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

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

"Then he informed me we were facing a side from the city and the surprise I had when I saw them sporting Everton kits - I say this is wrong for me!

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

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

So great is the squad depth at the club, he had his debut at defender.

"It's a little different but then, I love running and just go forward - I'm not defending that much," he added.

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

"That 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

In addition to the forward's six scores on debut, Stephen Ireland has netted 8 in three games for Wythenshawe, while Boyd scored 5 on his first match and Joleon Lescott, a defender by position, scored a hat-trick in one match up front.

The team are top of the Premier Division with 3 wins from three and a goal difference of +19.

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who plays on the flank for Collegiate OB, faced former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his nine-year-old son who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at two World Cups for Honduras, in as well as playing in more than 200 Premier League games.

"It was spreading like a rumor they had these ex-Premier League players," said Barrow.

"I felt I was a bit awestruck facing him to be honest.

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

"Our side held our own for a solid twenty minutes but then we had a player sent off and it was hard.

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

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

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

We Will Still Take the Title'

Andy Kirby coaches the Collegiate veterans side, who won the Top Division title last season, together with his co-manager.

"We scored 1-0 up and had a

Richard Cunningham
Richard Cunningham

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