Discover the Weekend Division Team Featuring Over 1,800 English Top Division Appearances

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

How do you improve a excellent veteran side who have won consecutive titles, featuring a double triumph boasting 30 wins from thirty-two games?

Sign a collection of ex- pro players who have competed at the elite tier of club football and international football as you target further trophies.

A Greater Manchester team fields an non-professional vets team with 9 former Premier League players in their active roster.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five Global Appearances

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

Their roster this season boasts nine ex- top-flight players, with a total nearly 1,800 elite matches.

The high-profile team also contains over 220 Premier League scores and 325 global appearances.

The squad feature Papiss Cisse, who scored 37 goals in 117 appearances for Newcastle United after joining them for £9m from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse made his debut for the team in their most recent home-field match versus reigning champions their rivals and netted all six goals in a 6-2 win - featuring a 32-minute opening period triple.

The squad for this season also includes ex- pros such as England and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley winger George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the former Premier League footballers have won fifteen significant honors and moved for total transfer fees of approximately £123 million.

Well-Known Names and International Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned 6 Irish caps, scoring four goals

Stephen Ireland started turning out for the side during pre-season this season through close mate and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish midfielder then asked other former professionals, who all compete in a weekly small-sided match, to join in.

Former Senegal forward Oumar Niasse, who scored twelve goals in sixty-five Premier League matches for Everton and even now goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also had his debut against Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and wear an Blue training kit as their uniform.

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

"My friend Stephen Ireland told me 'come and have a game, it's a laugh'," said the striker.

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

"If you still enjoy football and you know you can still play, wherever you can play, what are you going to choose?

"The people who turn up and see are happy and to give someone's moment if they watch us playing there and to pose us queries - it's really about the joy of us getting somewhere we can play, with organisation of course."

So great is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, he made his first game at full-back.

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

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa is playing for Wythenshawe

Unreal Experience

Along with the forward's six goals on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored eight in three appearances for Wythenshawe, while Boyd hit five on his debut match and Lescott, a defender by position, notched a hat-trick in one match up front.

The team are top of the Premier Tier with three victories from three and a GD of +19.

One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the wing for Collegiate OB, faced former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his nine-year-old son who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at 2 World Cups for his country, in addition to featuring in more than 200 Premier League matches.

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

"I think I was a bit awestruck playing against Figueroa to be honest.

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

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

"We really have not stopped chatting about it - I was calling my mum and brother on the journey home.

"The opponents were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the match - it was like facing a bunch of regular fellas.

"Now we are eager for the second fixture."

We Will Still Take the Title'

The manager manages the Collegiate vets side, who secured the Premier Division championship last season, together with Paul Maguire.

"We scored 1-0 ahead and had a

Steven Reyes
Steven Reyes

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