Meet this Sunday Division Club With Over 1,800 Top-Flight Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for the team Veterans during a six-two victory versus their opponents on October 19th (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you boost a excellent experienced side that have claimed consecutive titles, including a league-cup double with 30 victories from 32 matches?

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

A Greater Manchester side fields an amateur veterans team with nine ex- Premier League players in their active squad.

222 Premier League Goals, 325 Global Appearances

The team Vets Over 35s are situated in southern Manchester and compete in the Cheshire-based Vets League Premier Tier.

The roster this season boasts nine former Premier League players, with a total 1,801 elite matches.

The elite team also boasts over 220 top division goals and over 320 global appearances.

The squad include one forward, who notched thirty-seven goals in 117 appearances for his former club after joining them for £9m from German league side Freiburg in January 2012.

He made his debut for the team in their most recent home match against reigning champions their rivals and scored all six goals in a six-two victory - featuring a 32-minute opening period triple.

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

Collectively, the former top-flight players have won fifteen big trophies and transferred for total transfer sums of approximately £123m.

Well-Known Figures and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He won six Republic of Ireland caps, scoring 4 scores

Stephen Ireland started turning out for the team in preseason this summer through close friend and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then invited additional ex-pros, who all compete in a weekly small-sided match, to join in.

Former Senegal forward Oumar Niasse, who scored twelve goals in 65 Premier League matches for the Toffees and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also had his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are based in the city and wear an Everton warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

"A friend Stephen said 'come and play, it's a laugh'," commented Niasse.

"After that he informed me we were playing a side from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I saw them sporting Everton shirts - 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?

"Those fans who turn up and watch are happy and to make a day if they see us competing there and to ask us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us getting somewhere we can play, with organisation of course."

Such is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse made his debut at defender.

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

"I tell my defender 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to continue running.

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

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

Dreamlike' Feeling

In addition to Cisse's six goals on his first game, Stephen Ireland has scored 8 in 3 appearances for the side, while Boyd hit 5 on his debut match and Joleon 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 goal difference of plus nineteen.

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

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

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

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

"Even Heskey got on and he's got 60-odd English appearances.

"Our side held our own for a good 20 mins but then we had a man dismissed and it was tough.

"Our group literally haven't stopped chatting about it - I was calling my mum and brother on the way home.

"The opponents were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the match - it was like facing a group of normal guys.

"Now we are eager for the second match."

'We'll Still Win the Title'

Andy Kirby coaches the opposition vets side, who secured the Top Division championship last season, together with his co-manager.

"We went one-nil up and had a

Dawn Ramos
Dawn Ramos

A historian and journalist specializing in European royalty, with over a decade of experience covering royal events and traditions.