Meet the Weekend League Squad With Over 1,800 Premier League Matches

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

How do you enhance a excellent experienced team who have claimed consecutive championships, including a league-cup double boasting 30 wins from 32 games?

Recruit a collection of former pro players who have competed at the elite tier of club football and global soccer as you aim for more trophies.

One Manchester club fields an amateur veterans squad with nine ex- top-flight footballers in their active 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 Vets Division Top Division.

Their roster this campaign features 9 ex- top-flight players, with a collective over 1,800 top-flight matches.

The star-studded squad also includes 222 Premier League goals and 325 global appearances.

They feature one forward, who netted thirty-seven scores in over 100 games for his former club after joining them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga club Freiburg in 2012.

He made his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their most recent home match against defending title holders Collegiate Old Boys and netted all six goals in a six-two victory - including a 32-minute opening period triple.

The squad for this season also features former professionals such as England and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the ex- top-flight players have claimed fifteen significant trophies and moved for combined transfer fees of around £123 million.

Well-Known Figures and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He won 6 Irish caps, scoring 4 scores

Stephen Ireland began playing for the team in preseason this summer through close mate and present team player Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then asked additional former professionals, who all compete in a weekly small-sided match, to participate.

Ex- Senegalese forward Niasse, who scored 12 goals in sixty-five Premier League games for the Toffees and still goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also made his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are based in the city and use an Blue warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

"A friend Stephen said 'come and play, it's good fun'," said Niasse.

"Then he informed me we were facing a team from the city and the shock I had when I noticed them wearing Everton kits - I thought this is wrong for me!

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

"The fans who come and watch are pleased and to make someone's day if they see us competing there and to pose us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us having a place we can play, with structure of course."

So great is the squad depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse had his debut at full-back.

"It's a little unusual but then, I enjoy sprinting and just move inside - I'm not defending that much," he added.

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa is playing for Wythenshawe

Unreal Experience

Along with the forward's 6 goals on his first game, Stephen Ireland has netted eight in three appearances for the side, while George Boyd scored 5 on his first appearance and Lescott, a defender by trade, notched a hat-trick in one game up front.

Wythenshawe are top of the Top Division with three victories from three and a GD of plus nineteen.

Paul Barrow, 38, who features on the wing for Collegiate OB, faced former Wigan defender Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his nine-year-old son who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at two World Cups for his country, in as well as featuring in more than 200 top-flight 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 Figueroa to be honest.

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

"We held our own for a solid twenty minutes but then we had a man dismissed and it was hard.

"Our group literally haven't ceased talking about it - I was phoning my mother and brother on the way home.

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

"Now we are eager for the return fixture."

We Will Still Win the League'

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

"We went 1-0 ahead and had a

Charles Horton
Charles Horton

Agricultural technology expert with 15 years of experience in developing sustainable farming solutions and digital agriculture platforms.