Discover the Sunday Division Squad Boasting Over 1,800 Premier League Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This substitutes for the team Vets during a six-two triumph versus Collegiate Old Boys on 19 October (from left to right) - one player, another, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How can you enhance a stellar experienced team who have secured consecutive titles, featuring a league-cup double with thirty wins from thirty-two matches?

Sign a group of former pro players that have performed at the top level of club and international football as you pursue further honors.

One Manchester club boasts an non-professional vets squad with 9 ex- top-flight footballers in their current roster.

222 Premier League Scores, Three Hundred Twenty-Five International Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets Over-35s are situated in southern the city and compete in the Cheshire Veterans Division Top Tier.

The roster this campaign boasts 9 ex- Premier League players, with a total 1,801 Premier League games.

This star-studded team also includes over 220 Premier League goals and over 320 global caps.

The squad include Papiss Cisse, who netted thirty-seven goals in 117 games for his former club after moving to them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga club SC Freiburg in January 2012.

He made his debut for Wythenshawe in their most recent home-field game against reigning champions Collegiate Old Boys and netted every one of the six goals in a 6-2 victory - featuring a 32-minute first-half hat-trick.

The roster for this season also features former professionals such as English and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former Premier League footballers have secured 15 big trophies and transferred for combined transfer fees of approximately £123m.

Well-Known Figures and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned 6 Republic of Ireland caps, scoring 4 scores

Ireland started turning out for the team in preseason this summer through good mate and current team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Irish player then invited additional ex-pros, who all play in a weekly small-sided match, to join in.

Ex- Senegal forward Oumar Niasse, who scored twelve goals in sixty-five top-flight games for the Toffees and still goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also had his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are based in Liverpool and use an Blue training kit as their strip.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
He featured for the club between 2016 and 2020

"My friend Stephen said 'come 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 Blue shirts - I thought this is wrong for me!

"When you still enjoy football and you know you can still play, anywhere you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?

"Those fans who come and watch are happy and to give someone's moment if they see us competing there and to ask us queries - it's really about the pleasure of us having somewhere we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

So great is the bench strength at the club, Niasse had his debut at full-back.

"That's a bit unusual but then, I enjoy sprinting and just move forward - I'm not defending that much," he added.

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is playing for the team

Unreal Experience

In addition to the forward's 6 scores on debut, Ireland has scored 8 in three appearances for Wythenshawe, while Boyd scored five on his first match and Lescott, a centre-half by position, scored a triple in one match up front.

The team are leading of the Premier Division with 3 victories from three and a GD of plus nineteen.

Paul Barrow, 38, who plays on the wing for Collegiate OB, came up against ex- Latics full-back Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young son who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at 2 global tournaments for Honduras, in as well as featuring in more than 200 Premier League matches.

"It was going round like a rumor they had all these ex-Premier League stars," remarked the player.

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

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

"Our side held our own for a good 20 mins but then we had a man sent off and it was hard.

"Our group really haven't ceased chatting about it - I was phoning my mother and brother on the journey home.

"The opponents were all really nice, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a group of normal guys.

"Now we are eager for the return fixture."

'We'll Still Win the League'

The manager manages the Collegiate vets team, who won the Top Division title last season, together with his co-manager.

"We went one-nil ahead and had a

Olivia Taylor
Olivia Taylor

A certified running coach and marathon enthusiast who shares practical tips and personal experiences to help runners achieve their goals.