Discover the Weekend Division Squad Featuring Over 1,800 Premier League Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This substitutes for Wythenshawe Vets during a 6-2 triumph against Collegiate Old Boys on 19 October (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you improve a outstanding veteran side that have secured consecutive titles, featuring a league-cup double with 30 wins from 32 games?

Recruit a group of ex- professionals that have performed at the highest level of club football and global football as you pursue additional honors.

One Manchester team has an amateur veterans team with nine former Premier League footballers in their present lineup.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Scores, 325 Global Appearances

Wythenshawe Veterans Over 35s are situated in south Manchester and play in the Cheshire Veterans League Top Tier.

Their lineup this season features 9 former Premier League footballers, with a combined 1,801 top-flight games.

The high-profile squad also includes 222 Premier League scores and over 320 international appearances.

The squad feature one forward, who scored thirty-seven scores in over 100 games for his former club after joining them for ÂŁ9m from Bundesliga club Freiburg in 2012.

He had his debut for Wythenshawe in their last home game against reigning title holders their rivals and netted all six goals in a 6-2 win - featuring a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.

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

Together, the former top-flight footballers have won fifteen significant trophies and transferred for combined transfer fees of approximately ÂŁ123 million.

Famous Figures and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned 6 Republic of Ireland caps, netting 4 scores

Ireland started turning out for the side in preseason this summer through good mate and present Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the former Irish player then asked other former professionals, who all play in a midweek small-sided game, to join in.

Ex- Senegal striker Niasse, who scored 12 goals in sixty-five top-flight matches for the Toffees and even now attends their home games, also had his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Blue training kit as their strip.

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

"My friend Stephen Ireland said 'come and play, it's good fun'," commented the striker.

"After that he informed me we were facing a side from the city and the shock I had when I saw them sporting Everton kits - I thought this is wrong for me!

"If you still love the game and you feel you can still play, anywhere you can play, what are you going to do?

"The fans who come and watch are pleased and to make someone's moment if they see us playing there and to ask us queries - it's really about the pleasure of us having a place we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

Such is the strength in depth at the club, he had his first game at full-back.

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

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

"The movement is what I'm after. 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 6 goals on his first game, Ireland has scored 8 in three appearances for the side, while George Boyd hit 5 on his debut match and Joleon Lescott, a defender by trade, scored a hat-trick in one match as a striker.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Premier Tier with three wins from 3 and a GD of plus nineteen.

One opponent, 38, who plays on the wing for the opposition, came up against former Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young boy who Heskey was.

He has appeared at two global tournaments for his country, in as well as playing in over two hundred Premier League matches.

"It was going round like a rumor they had all these former top-flight players," said the player.

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

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

"We held our own for a good 20 minutes but then we had a man dismissed and it was tough.

"We literally have not stopped chatting about it - I was calling my mother and brother on the way home.

"The opponents were all really nice, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a group of regular guys.

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

We Will Still Win the League'

The manager manages the Collegiate vets team, who secured the Premier Division title last season, along with his co-manager.

"Our team went one-nil ahead and had a

Deborah Hunt
Deborah Hunt

A seasoned gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in casino reviews and slot strategy development.