Meet the Weekend Division Squad With Over 1,800 English Top Division Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This substitutes for Wythenshawe Vets during a 6-2 triumph versus Collegiate Old Boys on October 19th (from left to right) - one player, Papiss Cisse, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you improve a stellar veteran squad that have claimed back-to-back titles, featuring a league-cup double boasting thirty victories from thirty-two matches?

Bring in a collection of former professionals that have performed at the elite tier of club football and international football as you pursue further trophies.

One Manchester team fields an amateur vets squad with 9 ex- Premier League footballers in their active squad.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Scores, 325 International Appearances

The team Vets Over-35s are situated in southern Manchester and play in the Cheshire-based Vets Division Top Tier.

Their lineup this campaign boasts nine ex- top-flight footballers, with a total over 1,800 Premier League appearances.

The star-studded roster also boasts 222 Premier League scores and over 320 global caps.

They include Papiss Cisse, who netted 37 goals in 117 appearances for his former club after signing for them for £9m from Bundesliga side Freiburg in 2012.

He had his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their last home game versus defending title holders Collegiate Old Boys and netted all six scores in a 6-2 win - featuring a 32-minute first-half triple.

The team for this season also includes ex- professionals such as English and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the ex- top-flight players have claimed fifteen major honors and moved for total transfer sums of approximately £123 million.

Famous Figures and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned 6 Irish appearances, netting 4 goals

Stephen Ireland began turning out for the side during preseason this season through close mate and present Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish midfielder then invited other ex-pros, who all compete in a weekly small-sided game, to participate.

Former Senegal forward Niasse, who scored twelve goals in sixty-five top-flight games for Everton and still goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also had his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are based in Liverpool and use an Blue training kit as their strip.

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

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

"After that he informed me we were playing a side from the city and the shock I had when I noticed them wearing Everton shirts - I thought this is wrong for me!

"If you still love the game and you know 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 a moment if they watch us playing there and to pose us questions - it's more like the joy of us getting a place we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

So great is the squad depth at the club, he had his first game at full-back.

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

"I tell my defender 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to continue running.

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is turning out for the team

Dreamlike' Experience

Along with Cisse's 6 goals on his first game, Stephen Ireland has scored 8 in three games for Wythenshawe, while Boyd hit five on his debut appearance and Lescott, a centre-half by position, notched a triple in one match as a striker.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Top Division with three wins from three and a GD of plus nineteen.

One opponent, 38, who plays on the flank for the opposition, came up against former Wigan defender Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his nine-year-old boy who Heskey was.

He has appeared at two World Cups for Honduras, in addition to playing in over 200 Premier League matches.

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

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

"Even Heskey got on and he's got 60-odd England caps.

"Our side held our own for a solid 20 minutes but then we had a man sent off and it was tough.

"We really haven't ceased chatting about it - I was calling my mum and brother on the journey home.

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

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

'We'll Still Win the Title'

Andy Kirby coaches the opposition veterans side, who won the Top Division championship the previous campaign, together with his co-manager.

"Our team went 1-0 up and had a

Jeffery Sharp
Jeffery Sharp

Tech journalist and sustainability advocate exploring the intersection of innovation and environmental consciousness.