Introduce this Weekend League Team Featuring Nearly Two Thousand Top-Flight Appearances

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

What can you enhance a excellent veteran side who have won consecutive championships, including a double triumph with 30 victories from thirty-two games?

Bring in a collection of former professionals that have competed at the top level of club and global soccer as you target additional trophies.

A Greater Manchester club boasts an non-professional vets team with nine former top-flight players in their current lineup.

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

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

The lineup this season features 9 former top-flight players, with a combined 1,801 elite matches.

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

The squad feature one forward, who netted 37 goals in 117 appearances for Newcastle United after moving to them for nine million pounds from German league side SC Freiburg in January 2012.

He made his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their last home game against defending champions their rivals and scored every one of the six goals in a 6-2 win - featuring a half-hour opening period hat-trick.

The squad for this season also features former professionals such as English and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former Premier League footballers have claimed fifteen significant trophies and transferred for total transfer sums of approximately £123 million.

Household Names and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland won 6 Republic of Ireland appearances, netting four scores

Stephen Ireland began turning out for the side in preseason this summer through good friend and present Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish player then asked other ex-pros, who all play in a weekly small-sided game, to participate.

Ex- Senegal striker Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 scores in 65 top-flight games for Everton and even now attends their home games, also made his debut versus the opposition - who are based in the city and use an Blue warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

"A friend Stephen Ireland told me 'come and play, it's good fun'," commented the striker.

"After that he informed me we were playing a side from the city and the surprise I had when I noticed them sporting Blue kits - I say this is wrong for me!

"If you still enjoy football and you feel you can still do it, anywhere you can kick a ball, what are you going to choose?

"The people who come and see are pleased and to make someone's day if they see us competing there and to pose us queries - it's really about the pleasure of us having a place we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

So great is the strength in depth at the club, Niasse had his first game at defender.

"That's a little unusual but then, I love sprinting and just go forward - I'm not staying back that much," he said.

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

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

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

Dreamlike' Experience

Along with Cisse's 6 goals on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored 8 in 3 games for Wythenshawe, while Boyd hit 5 on his first appearance and Lescott, a defender by trade, notched a triple in one match as a striker.

The team are leading of the Top Tier with 3 victories from three and a GD of +19.

One opponent, thirty-eight, who features on the flank for the opposition, faced former Wigan defender Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his young son who Emile Heskey was.

He has played at two World Cups for his country, in addition to playing in over 200 top-flight matches.

"The news was going round like a rumor they had all these ex-Premier League players," remarked the player.

"I think I was a bit starstruck playing against him to be honest.

"Even Heskey got on and he's has 60-odd England caps.

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

"We really have not ceased chatting about it - I was calling my mother and brother on the way home.

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

"Now we are eager for the return fixture."

'We'll Still Take the Title'

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

"We scored one-nil ahead and had a

Katherine Cameron
Katherine Cameron

Anouk is a digital strategist and content creator passionate about helping businesses thrive online.