Meet this Weekend Division Team Featuring Over 1,800 Premier League Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for the team Veterans during a six-two victory versus their opponents on October 19th (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How can you boost a stellar experienced team that have won consecutive championships, featuring a league-cup double boasting thirty victories from thirty-two games?

Recruit a raft of ex- professionals who have performed at the highest level of club football and global football as you aim for more trophies.

A Greater Manchester club boasts an amateur veterans squad with nine former top-flight players in their present squad.

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

Wythenshawe Vets Over 35s are situated in southern Manchester and play in the Cheshire-based Veterans Division Top Division.

The lineup this season boasts 9 ex- top-flight footballers, with a collective nearly 1,800 elite appearances.

This star-studded roster also contains over 220 Premier League scores and over 320 global appearances.

They feature Papiss Cisse, who netted 37 goals in over 100 games for his former club after signing for them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse made his debut for Wythenshawe in their last home-field match against reigning title holders Collegiate Old Boys and netted all six goals in a six-two victory - featuring a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.

The squad for this season also includes ex- professionals such as English and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the ex- Premier League players have won fifteen significant honors and moved for combined transfer fees of approximately £123m.

Well-Known Names and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned six Republic of Ireland appearances, netting four goals

Ireland started playing for the side in pre-season this summer through good mate and present team player Blake Norton, and the former Irish midfielder then invited additional ex-pros, who all compete in a midweek nine-a-side game, to join in.

Former Senegal forward Niasse, who netted twelve scores in 65 top-flight games for the Toffees and even now goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also had his first appearance against Collegiate OB - who are based in Liverpool and use an Everton training kit as their uniform.

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

"A mate Stephen told me 'join and have a game, it's enjoyable'," commented Niasse.

"Then he informed me we were facing a side from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I noticed them wearing Everton kits - I thought this is strange for me!

"When you still enjoy football and you feel you can still play, anywhere you can play, what are you going to choose?

"Those fans who come and see are happy and to make a moment if they watch us competing there and to pose us queries - it's really about the pleasure of us getting somewhere we can play, with organisation of course."

Such is the squad depth at Wythenshawe, he made his debut at defender.

"It's a little different but then, I love running and just move forward - I'm not defending that much," he added.

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

"That movement is what I'm looking for. It's good fun."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is turning out for Wythenshawe

'Surreal Experience

Along with the forward's 6 scores on his first game, Ireland has scored 8 in three games for the side, while Boyd hit 5 on his first match and Lescott, a defender by position, scored a triple in one match up front.

Wythenshawe are top of the Top Tier with three victories from 3 and a GD of +19.

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who features on the wing for the opposition, faced former Latics full-back Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his young boy who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at two global tournaments for Honduras, in addition to playing in more than two hundred Premier League matches.

"It was going round like wildfire they had these former top-flight players," said Barrow.

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

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

"Our side competed well for a good 20 minutes but then we had a player sent off and it was hard.

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

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

"Now we are eager for the return match."

'We'll Still Win the League'

Andy Kirby coaches the opposition veterans team, who secured the Premier Division championship last season, along with Paul Maguire.

"Our team went one-nil ahead and had a

Daniel Moore
Daniel Moore

A tech enthusiast and business strategist with over a decade of experience in digital transformation and startup consulting.