Meet this Sunday League Team With Nearly Two Thousand English Top Division Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for Wythenshawe Veterans in a six-two triumph versus their opponents on 19 October (left to right) - one player, Papiss Cisse, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you improve a excellent veteran squad who have claimed consecutive titles, featuring a league-cup double with 30 wins from thirty-two games?

Recruit a group of ex- pro players that have played at the highest level of club football and global soccer as you aim for more silverware.

One Greater Manchester side has an amateur veterans team with nine ex- Premier League footballers in their current roster.

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

Wythenshawe Vets Over 35s are situated in southern the city and play in the Cheshire Vets Division Top Division.

Their squad list this campaign features 9 former Premier League footballers, with a total nearly 1,800 Premier League appearances.

This high-profile roster also contains over 220 Premier League scores and 325 international appearances.

They include Papiss Cisse, who scored 37 goals in 117 games for his former club after moving to them for £9m from Bundesliga club SC Freiburg in January 2012.

He made his debut for Wythenshawe in their last home-field game versus reigning champions Collegiate Old Boys and netted every one of the six goals in a 6-2 win - including a half-hour first-half triple.

The squad for this season also features former pros such as England and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the former top-flight players have secured fifteen big trophies and moved for total transfer sums of approximately £123 million.

Famous Names and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He won six Irish appearances, netting 4 scores

Stephen Ireland started turning out for the side in preseason this season through good mate and current team player Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland midfielder then asked other former professionals, who all play in a weekly nine-a-side game, to join in.

Former Senegalese striker Niasse, who scored 12 goals in 65 Premier League games for Everton and still goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also had his first appearance against Collegiate OB - who are based in the city and use an Everton training kit as their strip.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
Oumar Niasse featured for the club between 2016 and 2020

"A friend Stephen said 'come and play, it's good fun'," said the striker.

"Then he told me we were facing a side from the city and the shock I had when I noticed them wearing Blue shirts - I say this is wrong for me!

"When you still enjoy football and you feel you can still play, wherever you can play, what are you going to choose?

"Those people who come and see are pleased and to give someone's day if they watch us competing there and to ask us questions - it's really about the joy of us getting somewhere we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

Such is the bench strength at Wythenshawe, Niasse had his first game at full-back.

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

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

"That running is what I'm after. It's enjoyable."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa is turning out for the team

Dreamlike' Scenario

In addition to Cisse's 6 scores on his first game, Ireland has scored eight in 3 games for the side, while Boyd hit 5 on his debut match and Joleon Lescott, a defender by trade, notched a hat-trick in one match up front.

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

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who plays on the wing for the opposition, came up against ex- Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his young son who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at two World Cups for his country, in addition to featuring in more than 200 top-flight games.

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

"I think I was a bit starstruck facing Figueroa to be honest.

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

"Our side competed well for a good twenty mins but then we had a man dismissed and it was tough.

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

"They were all friendly, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a bunch of regular guys.

"Now we are eager for the return fixture."

We Will Still Take the Title'

The manager coaches the opposition vets side, who won the Premier Division title the previous campaign, together with Paul Maguire.

"Our team scored 1-0 ahead and had a

William Richards
William Richards

A passionate board game enthusiast and reviewer with over a decade of experience in the tabletop gaming industry.