Introduce the Sunday Division Club Boasting 1,800 Premier League Matches

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

What do you enhance a excellent experienced side that have secured consecutive championships, including a league-cup double boasting thirty victories from thirty-two matches?

Sign a group of ex- professionals that have played at the top level of club football and global football as you target further silverware.

A Manchester side boasts an non-professional veterans team with nine former Premier League players in their current roster.

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

Wythenshawe Veterans Over-35s are based in south the city and play in the Cheshire Vets Division Top Tier.

Their squad list this campaign features nine former Premier League players, with a total nearly 1,800 Premier League games.

The elite roster also includes 222 Premier League goals and 325 international caps.

The squad feature one forward, who netted 37 scores in 117 appearances for his former club after moving to them for £9m from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in January 2012.

He made his debut for Wythenshawe in their last home-field match versus defending champions Collegiate Old Boys and netted every one of the six scores in a 6-2 win - featuring a 32-minute opening period triple.

Wythenshawe's team for this campaign also includes ex- pros such as England and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the ex- top-flight footballers have secured 15 big honors and transferred for combined transfer sums of about £123m.

Household Names and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland won six Republic of Ireland appearances, scoring four scores

Stephen Ireland began playing for the team in pre-season this summer through close mate and current Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then asked other ex-pros, who all compete in a midweek nine-a-side match, to participate.

Ex- Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse, who scored 12 scores in sixty-five Premier League matches for the Toffees and still attends their matches at Goodison Park, also had his debut versus the opposition - who are based in the city and wear an Blue training kit as their strip.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
Oumar Niasse played for Everton from 2016 and 2020

"My mate Stephen said 'join and have a game, it's good fun'," said Niasse.

"After that he told me we were facing a side from the city and the surprise I had when I saw them wearing Blue shirts - I thought this is strange for me!

"If you still enjoy football and you feel you can still play, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to choose?

"Those people who come and see are happy and to make someone's moment if they see us playing there and to ask us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us getting somewhere we can play, with structure of course."

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

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

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

"The 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

'Surreal Experience

Along with Cisse's six scores on debut, Ireland has netted eight in three games for Wythenshawe, while Boyd hit 5 on his first appearance and Lescott, a defender by trade, scored a hat-trick in one match up front.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Premier Tier with three wins from three and a goal difference of plus nineteen.

One opponent, 38, who plays on the wing for Collegiate OB, faced former Wigan defender Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his young boy who Heskey was.

He has played at 2 global tournaments for Honduras, in addition to featuring in more than 200 Premier League matches.

"The news was spreading like wildfire they had all these former top-flight players," said Barrow.

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

"Even Heskey came on and he's got over 60 English caps.

"We competed well for a good twenty mins but then we had a player sent off and it was hard.

"Our group really have not ceased chatting about it - I was phoning my mum and sibling on the journey home.

"They were all friendly, 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 Win the Title'

Andy Kirby coaches the opposition veterans team, who secured the Top Division championship the previous campaign, along with Paul Maguire.

"We scored 1-0 up and had a

Kimberly Taylor
Kimberly Taylor

Tech enthusiast and business strategist with a passion for innovation and digital transformation.

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