Meet this Weekend Division Team With Over 1,800 English Top Division Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for the team Vets during a 6-2 triumph versus Collegiate Old Boys on October 19th (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How do you enhance a excellent veteran squad who have claimed back-to-back championships, including a double triumph boasting thirty victories from thirty-two matches?

Bring in a group of former professionals who have performed at the elite level of club and international soccer as you aim for more silverware.

One Manchester club has an non-professional veterans squad with nine ex- top-flight players in their present lineup.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Goals, 325 International Caps

Wythenshawe Veterans Over-35s are based in southern the city and compete in the Cheshire Veterans League Top Division.

Their lineup this season features 9 former top-flight footballers, with a total over 1,800 Premier League matches.

This star-studded roster also includes 222 Premier League scores and 325 global appearances.

The squad include one forward, who notched thirty-seven scores in over 100 games for Newcastle United after joining them for £9m from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse had his first appearance for the team in their last home-field match against reigning title holders their rivals and scored all six scores in a six-two win - including a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.

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

Collectively, the ex- top-flight players have secured fifteen big honors and transferred for total transfer fees of approximately £123m.

Famous Names and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He won 6 Irish appearances, netting four scores

Stephen Ireland started playing for the team during preseason this season through close mate and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish midfielder then asked other former professionals, who all play in a weekly small-sided game, to join in.

Ex- Senegalese forward Oumar Niasse, who netted twelve goals in 65 top-flight matches for Everton and still goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also made his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and wear an Blue training kit as their strip.

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

"A friend Stephen told me 'join and play, it's a laugh'," commented the striker.

"After that he told me we were facing a team from the city and the surprise I had when I noticed them wearing Everton shirts - I say this is strange for me!

"If you still enjoy football and you feel you can still do it, wherever you can play, what are you going to choose?

"The fans who come and see are happy and to give someone's day if they watch us playing there and to pose us queries - it's really about the joy of us having somewhere we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

Such is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, he had his first game at defender.

"That's a bit unusual but then, I love sprinting and just go forward - I'm not staying back that much," he said.

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

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

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

Dreamlike' Experience

In addition to Cisse's 6 scores on his first game, Ireland has scored 8 in three appearances for the side, while Boyd hit five on his debut match and Lescott, a defender by trade, scored a hat-trick in one game as a striker.

The team are top of the Top Tier with three wins from 3 and a GD of +19.

One opponent, 38, who features on the wing for the opposition, came up against ex- Wigan full-back Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his nine-year-old son who Emile Heskey was.

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

"The news was going round like wildfire they had all these ex-Premier League stars," remarked the player.

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

"Also Emile [Heskey] got on and he's got over 60 England caps.

"Our side held our own for a solid twenty minutes but then we had a player sent off and it was hard.

"Our group really haven't ceased chatting about it - I was calling my mum and sibling on the journey 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 second fixture."

We Will Still Win the Title'

The manager coaches the opposition veterans team, who secured the Premier Division title last season, along with his co-manager.

"We scored 1-0 ahead and had a

Thomas Phillips
Thomas Phillips

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