Introduce the Sunday Division Club With Over 1,800 English Top Division Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The substitutes for Wythenshawe Veterans during a 6-2 victory versus Collegiate Old Boys on 19 October (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How do you enhance a outstanding veteran squad who have secured back-to-back championships, including a double triumph boasting 30 victories from thirty-two matches?

Bring in a raft of ex- pro players who have performed at the elite level of club football and international soccer as you pursue further silverware.

One Greater Manchester side has an non-professional veterans team with nine former Premier League players in their present lineup.

222 Top Division Scores, Three Hundred Twenty-Five International Caps

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

The lineup this season features 9 former Premier League players, with a total nearly 1,800 elite appearances.

This star-studded team also contains 222 Premier League scores and over 320 global appearances.

The squad include one forward, who scored thirty-seven scores in 117 games for his former club after signing for them for nine million pounds from German league side Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse made his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their last home match against reigning champions Collegiate Old Boys and scored every one of the six goals in a 6-2 victory - featuring a half-hour opening period hat-trick.

The team for this season also features former professionals such as England and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley winger George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the former Premier League players have secured fifteen significant honors and transferred for combined transfer sums of about £123m.

Household Names and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned 6 Republic of Ireland caps, netting four goals

Ireland started playing for the team in preseason this season through good mate and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland player then invited other ex-pros, who all play in a weekly small-sided game, to participate.

Former Senegal striker Oumar Niasse, who scored twelve scores in 65 Premier League matches for the Toffees and still attends their matches at Goodison Park, also had his first appearance against the opposition - who are based in Liverpool and use an Blue warm-up gear as their strip.

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

"A mate Stephen Ireland said 'come and have a game, it's enjoyable'," commented Niasse.

"Then he told me we were facing a team from Liverpool and the shock I had when I saw them sporting Blue shirts - I thought this is wrong for me!

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

"Those people who turn up and watch are pleased and to make a moment if they watch us competing there and to pose us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us getting somewhere we can play, with structure of course."

Such is the bench strength at Wythenshawe, he made his debut at full-back.

"That's a little different but then, I enjoy running and just go 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 continue attacking.

"That running is what I'm after. It's enjoyable."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is playing for Wythenshawe

Unreal Scenario

Along with the forward's 6 scores on his first game, Stephen Ireland has netted 8 in three games for the side, while Boyd hit 5 on his first match and Lescott, a centre-half by position, scored a triple in one match as a striker.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Premier Division with three wins from three and a goal difference of +19.

One opponent, 38, who features on the flank for the opposition, came up against ex- Latics full-back Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his young boy who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at 2 World Cups for Honduras, in addition to playing in over 200 Premier League matches.

"It was spreading like wildfire they had these former top-flight stars," said Barrow.

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

"Even Emile [Heskey] came on and he's has over 60 England caps.

"Our side held our own for a solid twenty minutes but then we had a player dismissed and it was hard.

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

"They were all really nice, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a bunch of regular fellas.

"Now we are eager for the return match."

'We'll Still Take the League'

Andy Kirby manages the opposition vets team, who won the Premier Division title last season, together with Paul Maguire.

"Our team went 1-0 up and had a

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