Meet this Sunday Division Squad Boasting Nearly Two Thousand Top-Flight Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for Wythenshawe Vets during a 6-2 triumph against their opponents on October 19th (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, another, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How do you enhance a excellent experienced team who have won consecutive championships, including a double triumph boasting 30 victories from thirty-two matches?

Bring in a collection of former professionals that have competed at the elite level of club football and international soccer as you target further honors.

A Manchester club has an non-professional veterans team with nine ex- Premier League players in their present roster.

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

The team Vets Over-35s are based in south the city and play in the Cheshire Veterans League Top Division.

The squad list this season features 9 ex- Premier League players, with a collective nearly 1,800 elite matches.

This star-studded team also contains over 220 top division goals and 325 global caps.

The squad feature Papiss Cisse, who netted 37 scores in over 100 games for his former club after joining them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga side Freiburg in 2012.

He had his first appearance for the team in their most recent home match versus reigning champions Collegiate Old Boys and netted every one of the six scores in a 6-2 win - including a half-hour first-half triple.

The team for this season also includes former pros such as England and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the former top-flight footballers have claimed fifteen major honors and transferred for total transfer sums of about £123m.

Well-Known Names and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned 6 Irish caps, scoring 4 scores

Stephen Ireland started turning out for the side during pre-season this season through good friend and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish midfielder then invited other former professionals, who all play in a midweek small-sided match, to join in.

Ex- Senegalese striker Niasse, who scored twelve goals in sixty-five top-flight matches for the Toffees and still goes to their home games, also made his debut versus the opposition - who are located in the city and wear an Blue warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

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

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

"When you still love the game and you feel you can still play, wherever you can play, what are you going to choose?

"The people who come and watch are pleased and to give someone's day if they see us competing there and to ask us questions - it's really about the pleasure of us having a place we can play, with structure of course."

So great is the strength in depth at the club, Niasse made his debut at full-back.

"It's a little unusual but then, I love running and just move forward - 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 looking for. It's enjoyable."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa is turning out for the team

Unreal Experience

In addition to Cisse's 6 goals on his first game, Ireland has scored 8 in 3 games for the side, while Boyd hit 5 on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a defender by trade, notched a hat-trick in one game up front.

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

Paul Barrow, 38, who plays on the flank for the opposition, faced ex- Wigan full-back Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young boy who Emile Heskey was.

He has appeared at two World Cups for his country, in addition to featuring in more than 200 top-flight games.

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

"I felt I was a bit awestruck playing against Figueroa to be honest.

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

"We competed well for a solid 20 minutes but then we had a man dismissed and it was hard.

"We literally haven't ceased chatting about it - I was phoning my mother and sibling on the way home.

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

"Now we are eager for the return match."

'We'll Still Take the Title'

Andy Kirby manages the opposition veterans team, who won the Top Division title the previous campaign, together with his co-manager.

"Our team scored one-nil up and had a

Jose Curtis IV
Jose Curtis IV

A tech enthusiast and writer passionate about uncovering digital innovations and sharing practical insights for everyday users.