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

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The substitutes for Wythenshawe Vets during a six-two triumph against their opponents on 19 October (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How do you improve a excellent experienced squad that have won back-to-back championships, featuring a league-cup double boasting 30 victories from thirty-two matches?

Bring in a collection of ex- professionals who have played at the elite level of club football and global soccer as you aim for further silverware.

A Greater Manchester team has an non-professional veterans squad with nine former Premier League footballers in their active lineup.

222 Top Division Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five International Appearances

Wythenshawe Veterans Over 35s are located in south the city and compete in the Cheshire-based Veterans Division Top Tier.

Their lineup this campaign boasts nine ex- Premier League players, with a total nearly 1,800 elite games.

This elite roster also contains 222 Premier League goals and over 320 global caps.

They include Papiss Cisse, who notched thirty-seven goals in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after signing for them for £9m from German league side Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse had his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their most recent home-field match versus defending title holders Collegiate Old Boys and netted every one of the six scores in a 6-2 victory - featuring a half-hour first-half triple.

Wythenshawe's squad for this season also includes ex- professionals such as England and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the ex- Premier League players have secured 15 big honors and moved for combined transfer fees of about £123 million.

Famous Figures and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned six Republic of Ireland appearances, netting 4 goals

Stephen Ireland started playing for the side in pre-season this season through close friend and current team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Irish player then asked additional ex-pros, who all compete in a midweek nine-a-side game, to join in.

Former Senegalese forward Niasse, who netted twelve goals in 65 Premier League matches for the Toffees and still attends their home games, also had his debut versus Collegiate OB - who are based in the city and use an Blue training kit as their strip.

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

"My mate Stephen said 'join and play, it's good fun'," commented the striker.

"After that he told me we were facing a side from the city and the shock I had when I noticed them sporting Everton shirts - I say this is wrong for me!

"When you still love the game and you know you can still play, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?

"Those people who turn up and see are pleased and to give someone's moment if they see us competing there and to pose us queries - it's more like the pleasure of us getting somewhere we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

Such is the squad depth at the club, Niasse made his first game at full-back.

"That's a bit different but then, I love sprinting and just go forward - I'm not defending that much," he added.

"I warn my centre-back 'I'm not hanging back' and that I'm just going to keep attacking.

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa is playing for the team

'Surreal Scenario

In addition to Cisse's six scores on his first game, Stephen Ireland has netted 8 in three games for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd scored five on his first match and Joleon Lescott, a defender by trade, notched a hat-trick in one match up front.

The team are top of the Top Division with three victories from 3 and a goal difference of +19.

One opponent, thirty-eight, who features on the flank for Collegiate OB, faced ex- Wigan full-back Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his young son who Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at 2 World Cups for his country, in addition to playing in over two hundred top-flight games.

"The news was spreading like a rumor they had all these former top-flight players," remarked Barrow.

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

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

"We competed well for a solid twenty minutes but then we had a player sent off and it was hard.

"We literally haven't ceased talking about it - I was phoning my mum and brother on the journey home.

"They were all really nice, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a group of normal fellas.

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

We Will Still Win the League'

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

"Our team scored 1-0 ahead and had a

William Montgomery
William Montgomery

Elara Vance is an astrophysicist and science communicator passionate about making space exploration accessible to everyone through engaging articles.