Discover this Sunday Division Club Featuring Over 1,800 English Top Division Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for the team Vets in a 6-2 victory against Collegiate Old Boys on October 19th (left to right) - one player, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you enhance a outstanding experienced squad that have claimed consecutive championships, including a league-cup double boasting 30 wins from 32 matches?

Recruit a collection of ex- professionals who have played at the elite tier of club football and global soccer as you aim for further honors.

A Greater Manchester club fields an non-professional vets team with nine former Premier League players in their active squad.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Scores, Three Hundred Twenty-Five International Caps

The team Vets Over-35s are situated in south the city and play in the Cheshire-based Veterans Division Premier Division.

The squad list this season includes nine former Premier League players, with a combined nearly 1,800 top-flight matches.

The elite team also includes 222 top division goals and over 320 global caps.

The squad feature Papiss Cisse, who notched thirty-seven goals in over 100 games for Newcastle United after joining them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga side Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse made his first appearance for the team in their last home game versus defending title holders Collegiate Old Boys and scored all six scores in a 6-2 victory - including a half-hour first-half triple.

The roster for this campaign also features former pros such as England and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the ex- top-flight footballers have claimed fifteen significant trophies and moved for total transfer fees of around £123m.

Well-Known Names and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned six Irish appearances, scoring four scores

Ireland began turning out for the team during pre-season this summer through good friend and current Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the former Irish midfielder then asked other former professionals, who all compete in a midweek small-sided game, to participate.

Ex- Senegalese forward Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 goals in 65 top-flight games for the Toffees and still attends their home games, also made his debut against the opposition - who are located in the city and wear an Everton warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

"My mate Stephen told me 'join and have a game, it's enjoyable'," said Niasse.

"Then he told me we were facing a team from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I noticed them wearing Blue shirts - I thought this is strange for me!

"When you still enjoy football and you know you can still do it, wherever you can play, what are you going to do?

"The people who turn up and watch are happy and to make a day if they see us playing there and to ask us questions - it's really about the pleasure of us getting somewhere we can play, with structure of course."

So great is the squad depth at Wythenshawe, he had his debut at full-back.

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

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

"The running is what I'm seeking. It's good fun."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is turning out for the team

Dreamlike' Scenario

In addition to the forward's 6 scores on his first game, Stephen Ireland has scored 8 in three games for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd scored five on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by position, notched a triple in one match as a striker.

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

Paul Barrow, 38, who features on the wing for Collegiate OB, faced ex- Wigan defender Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his nine-year-old boy who Emile Heskey was.

He has played at 2 World Cups for his country, in as well as featuring in more than 200 top-flight games.

"It was going round like a rumor they had these former top-flight stars," said the player.

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

"Even Emile [Heskey] got on and he's got over 60 England appearances.

"Our side held our own for a good twenty minutes but then we had a player dismissed and it was tough.

"We literally have not ceased chatting about it - I was phoning my mother and brother on the journey home.

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

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

'We'll Still Take the League'

Andy Kirby coaches the Collegiate veterans team, who won the Premier Division title last season, together with Paul Maguire.

"Our team scored 1-0 up and had a

Janice Deleon
Janice Deleon

Interior designer and lifestyle blogger with over a decade of experience in transforming homes into stylish sanctuaries.