Introduce this Sunday League Squad Boasting Over 1,800 Top-Flight Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This substitutes for Wythenshawe Vets during a six-two victory against their opponents on 19 October (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you enhance a stellar experienced side who have won back-to-back championships, including a league-cup double boasting thirty victories from 32 matches?

Recruit a raft of ex- professionals who have performed at the elite level of club and global soccer as you aim for additional honors.

One Manchester side boasts an amateur veterans squad with nine ex- top-flight players in their present squad.

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

Wythenshawe Vets Over-35s are situated in southern Manchester and compete in the Cheshire-based Veterans League Premier Division.

The roster this season includes nine ex- top-flight footballers, with a collective 1,801 Premier League matches.

The star-studded squad also includes 222 top division scores and over 320 international appearances.

The squad include one forward, who notched thirty-seven goals in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after moving to them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in January 2012.

He had his debut for Wythenshawe in their last home match versus defending champions their rivals and netted all six scores in a six-two win - including a half-hour first-half triple.

The roster for this season also features former professionals such as English and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the former top-flight footballers have won 15 big honors and transferred for total transfer fees of about £123m.

Household Names and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned six Irish appearances, scoring 4 goals

Ireland started playing for the team in pre-season this summer through close friend and present Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the former Irish midfielder then invited other ex-pros, who all play in a midweek small-sided game, to participate.

Former Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse, who scored twelve goals in 65 Premier League games for the Toffees and even now goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also had his first appearance against the opposition - who are located in Liverpool and use an Everton warm-up gear as their strip.

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

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

"After that he informed me we were playing a side from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I noticed them wearing Blue kits - I say this is strange for me!

"If you still enjoy the game and you know you can still do it, anywhere you can play, what are you going to do?

"The people who come and see are pleased and to give someone's moment if they see us playing there and to ask us queries - it's more like the joy of us having a place we can play, with organisation of course."

Such is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, he had his first game at defender.

"That's a little unusual but then, I love sprinting and just go inside - I'm not defending that much," he added.

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa is turning out for Wythenshawe

Dreamlike' Scenario

In addition to Cisse's six scores on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored 8 in three appearances for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd hit five on his first appearance and Lescott, a centre-half by trade, scored a hat-trick in one match up front.

Wythenshawe are top of the Top Division with 3 wins from 3 and a GD of +19.

One opponent, 38, who features on the wing for the opposition, came up against ex- Latics full-back Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his nine-year-old boy who Emile Heskey was.

He has appeared at two global tournaments for his country, in addition to playing in over 200 top-flight games.

"The news was going round like wildfire they had these ex-Premier League players," remarked Barrow.

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

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

"We held our own for a good twenty mins but then we had a player sent off and it was hard.

"We literally have not ceased talking about it - I was calling my mother and sibling on the way home.

"The opponents were all friendly, shaking our hands after the game - it was like playing a bunch of regular guys.

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

We Will Still Take the League'

The manager manages the Collegiate vets team, who secured the Premier Division championship the previous campaign, along with Paul Maguire.

"Our team went 1-0 up and had a

Paul Simpson
Paul Simpson

Elena Vance is a renewable energy consultant with over a decade of experience in solar technology and sustainable project management.