Introduce the Sunday League Squad With 1,800 English Top Division Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The substitutes for Wythenshawe Veterans in a 6-2 win versus their opponents on October 19th (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you improve a excellent veteran side that have secured consecutive titles, featuring a double triumph boasting 30 victories from 32 games?

Sign a collection of ex- pro players who have played at the top level of club and international soccer as you target further trophies.

One Greater Manchester side has an amateur vets squad with nine former top-flight players in their active roster.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Goals, 325 Global Caps

The team Veterans Over 35s are located in south the city and compete in the Cheshire-based Vets Division Top Tier.

The lineup this campaign boasts 9 ex- top-flight footballers, with a total over 1,800 elite matches.

This elite squad also boasts 222 Premier League scores and 325 international caps.

They feature Papiss Cisse, who netted 37 scores in over 100 appearances for his former club after signing for them for £9m from German league club Freiburg in January 2012.

He had his debut for Wythenshawe in their last home-field game against defending title holders their rivals and scored all six scores in a 6-2 victory - including a 32-minute first-half hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's squad for this season also includes former pros such as English and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the former Premier League players have claimed fifteen big trophies and moved for combined transfer sums of approximately £123m.

Famous Names and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned 6 Irish caps, netting 4 scores

Ireland started playing for the team in pre-season this summer through good friend and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then asked additional ex-pros, who all play in a weekly nine-a-side match, to join in.

Former Senegal forward Niasse, who netted twelve goals in 65 Premier League games for the Toffees and still goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also had his debut versus the opposition - who are located in the city and use an Everton warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

"My mate Stephen said 'join and play, it's good fun'," commented Niasse.

"Then he informed me we were playing a team from Liverpool and the shock I had when I noticed them sporting Everton shirts - I thought this is wrong for me!

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

"Those people who come and watch are pleased and to give someone's moment if they watch us playing there and to ask us queries - it's more like the pleasure of us getting a place we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

So great is the bench strength at the club, Niasse had his debut at defender.

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

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is turning out for Wythenshawe

Dreamlike' Scenario

In addition to Cisse's six goals on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored 8 in three games for the side, while George Boyd hit five on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a defender by position, notched a hat-trick in one game up front.

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

One opponent, thirty-eight, who features on the flank for the opposition, faced ex- Latics full-back Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his nine-year-old son who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at two global tournaments for Honduras, in as well as featuring in over two hundred top-flight matches.

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

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

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

"Our side competed well for a solid 20 mins but then we had a player dismissed and it was tough.

"We really have not ceased 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 game - it was like playing a bunch of regular fellas.

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

We Will Still Win the League'

Andy Kirby manages the Collegiate veterans side, who secured the Premier Division championship last season, together with his co-manager.

"Our team scored 1-0 ahead and had a

Donna Hoffman
Donna Hoffman

A seasoned financial analyst with over 15 years of experience in corporate accounting and personal finance management.