Introduce this Weekend League Team Boasting 1,800 Top-Flight Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This substitutes for Wythenshawe Veterans in a 6-2 triumph against Collegiate Old Boys on October 19th (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How do you enhance a stellar veteran squad that have claimed consecutive titles, featuring a double triumph with 30 victories from 32 matches?

Sign a raft of former pro players who have competed at the highest level of club football and international soccer as you pursue more silverware.

A Manchester side has an amateur veterans team with 9 former Premier League players in their active roster.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Goals, 325 International Appearances

The team Veterans Over-35s are situated in southern the city and play in the Cheshire-based Veterans Division Top Tier.

The roster this campaign includes nine former Premier League footballers, with a total 1,801 top-flight matches.

The high-profile roster also contains 222 top division scores and over 320 international appearances.

They feature Papiss Cisse, who scored 37 scores in 117 appearances for Newcastle United after moving to them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga club Freiburg in 2012.

He had his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their most recent home-field game against reigning champions their rivals and scored all six scores in a six-two win - featuring a half-hour opening period triple.

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

Together, the ex- Premier League players have claimed fifteen major trophies and moved for combined transfer sums of about £123 million.

Household Figures and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned six Irish appearances, scoring 4 goals

Stephen Ireland began playing for the side during pre-season this season through good mate and present team player Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland player then asked other former professionals, who all play in a weekly nine-a-side game, to participate.

Former Senegal striker Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 scores in 65 top-flight games for the Toffees and even now goes to their home games, also had his debut against Collegiate OB - who are located in Liverpool and use an Blue training kit as their uniform.

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

"A mate Stephen said 'come and play, it's enjoyable'," commented the striker.

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

"If you still love the game and you know you can still do it, anywhere you can play, what are you going to choose?

"Those people who turn up and watch are pleased and to make someone's day if they see us playing there and to ask us questions - it's really about the joy of us having somewhere we can play, with organisation of course."

So great is the bench strength at Wythenshawe, Niasse had his first game at defender.

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

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

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

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

Unreal Scenario

In addition to Cisse's 6 scores on his first game, Ireland has netted eight in 3 appearances for Wythenshawe, while Boyd hit 5 on his debut match and Lescott, a centre-half by trade, scored a hat-trick in one game up front.

The team are leading of the Top Tier with 3 victories from three and a GD of plus nineteen.

One opponent, 38, who plays on the wing for Collegiate OB, faced former Latics defender Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his nine-year-old boy who Emile Heskey was.

He has played at 2 global tournaments for his country, in as well as playing in more than two hundred Premier League matches.

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

"I felt I was a little awestruck facing Figueroa to be honest.

"Also Emile [Heskey] got on and he's got 60-odd England appearances.

"Our side competed well for a solid 20 mins but then we had a player sent off and it was hard.

"We literally haven't stopped talking about it - I was phoning my mother and sibling on the way home.

"They were all really nice, shaking our hands after the game - it was like playing a group of normal guys.

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

We Will Still Win the Title'

The manager coaches the Collegiate veterans side, who won the Top Tier championship the previous campaign, along with Paul Maguire.

"We scored one-nil ahead and had a

Cody Martin
Cody Martin

A passionate gamer and tech writer with over a decade of experience covering indie and AAA titles across multiple platforms.