Introduce this Sunday League Squad With Nearly Two Thousand Top-Flight Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for Wythenshawe Vets in a 6-2 victory versus their opponents on October 19th (from left to right) - one player, another, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you improve a stellar experienced squad that have secured back-to-back championships, including a league-cup double with 30 wins from thirty-two games?

Recruit a collection of ex- professionals that have played at the highest level of club and international football as you aim for further silverware.

A Manchester club boasts an amateur vets squad with nine ex- top-flight footballers in their active squad.

222 Top Division Scores, 325 Global Caps

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

The squad list this campaign features nine ex- Premier League footballers, with a collective over 1,800 top-flight appearances.

This elite squad also contains 222 Premier League scores and over 320 international caps.

They include one forward, who notched 37 goals in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after joining them for £9m from German league club Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse made his first appearance for the team in their last home-field match versus reigning champions Collegiate Old Boys and netted all six goals in a 6-2 victory - including a half-hour first-half hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's squad for this campaign also includes ex- professionals such as English and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former Premier League footballers have claimed fifteen major honors and transferred for combined transfer sums of approximately £123m.

Household Figures and International Players

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

Stephen Ireland began playing for the side in preseason this summer through good mate and current Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland midfielder then asked other former professionals, who all play in a weekly nine-a-side game, to participate.

Former Senegalese striker Niasse, who scored twelve goals in 65 Premier League games for the Toffees and even now goes to their home games, also made his debut against the opposition - who are based in Liverpool and use an Everton training kit as their strip.

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

"My friend Stephen told me 'come and play, it's enjoyable'," said Niasse.

"Then he informed me we were playing a team from the city and the surprise I had when I noticed them wearing Blue kits - I say this is strange for me!

"When you still love football and you feel you can still do it, anywhere you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?

"The fans who come and watch are happy and to make someone's day if they watch us playing there and to pose us queries - it's more like the pleasure of us having somewhere we can play, with organisation of course."

So great is the bench strength at Wythenshawe, Niasse had his first game at full-back.

"That's a bit unusual but then, I enjoy sprinting and just move 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.

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

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

Unreal Experience

In addition to Cisse's 6 goals on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored 8 in 3 games for the side, while George Boyd scored 5 on his debut match and Lescott, a defender by position, scored a hat-trick in one match as a striker.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Premier Division with 3 victories from three and a goal difference of plus nineteen.

One opponent, 38, who plays on the wing for the opposition, came up against former Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his nine-year-old son who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at 2 global tournaments for his country, in addition to featuring in more than 200 Premier League matches.

"It was going round like a rumor they had these former top-flight stars," remarked the player.

"I felt I was a little starstruck facing him to be honest.

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

"We competed well for a solid twenty mins but then we had a man dismissed and it was tough.

"Our group literally haven't stopped chatting about it - I was calling my mother and brother on the way home.

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

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

We Will Still Take the League'

Andy Kirby coaches the opposition vets side, who won the Top Division championship last season, along with Paul Maguire.

"We went one-nil ahead and had a

Abigail Patterson
Abigail Patterson

A seasoned gambling analyst with over a decade of experience in the UK casino industry, specializing in game reviews and responsible betting practices.