Discover the Weekend Division Team Boasting Nearly Two Thousand English Top Division Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The substitutes for the team Veterans in a 6-2 victory versus Collegiate Old Boys on 19 October (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you boost a stellar veteran squad that have secured back-to-back titles, including a league-cup double with thirty victories from thirty-two matches?

Bring in a collection of former professionals who have competed at the top level of club football and global soccer as you target more silverware.

One Manchester club has an amateur vets team with 9 former top-flight footballers in their present roster.

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

Wythenshawe Vets Over-35s are located in southern Manchester and compete in the Cheshire-based Veterans Division Premier Tier.

The lineup this campaign includes 9 former top-flight players, with a combined over 1,800 top-flight matches.

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

They feature Papiss Cisse, who netted thirty-seven scores in 117 games for his former club after signing for them for £9m from German league side SC Freiburg in 2012.

He made his debut for Wythenshawe in their most recent home-field game versus reigning title holders Collegiate Old Boys and scored 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 ex- pros such as English and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former top-flight footballers have secured 15 big honors and moved for combined transfer fees of about £123m.

Famous Figures and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He won six Irish appearances, netting 4 goals

Ireland began turning out for the team in preseason this summer through good friend and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Irish player then invited additional ex-pros, who all play in a midweek nine-a-side game, to join in.

Ex- Senegal striker Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 scores in sixty-five top-flight games for Everton and even now attends their home games, also had his debut against Collegiate OB - who are based in the city and use an Everton warm-up gear as their strip.

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

"My mate Stephen Ireland said 'join and play, it's enjoyable'," said the striker.

"Then he told me we were facing a team from the city and the surprise I had when I saw them sporting Blue kits - I say this is wrong for me!

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

"Those 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 pleasure of us getting somewhere we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

Such is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse made his first game at defender.

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

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is turning out for Wythenshawe

'Surreal Feeling

Along with Cisse's six goals on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored 8 in three games for the side, while George Boyd scored five on his first appearance and Lescott, a defender by position, notched a triple in one game up front.

Wythenshawe are top of the Premier Division with three wins from 3 and a GD of plus nineteen.

One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the wing for Collegiate OB, came up against ex- Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his nine-year-old boy who Emile Heskey was.

He has played at 2 World Cups for his country, in as well as playing in more than 200 Premier League games.

"It was spreading like a rumor they had these former top-flight stars," said the player.

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

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

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

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

"The opponents were all friendly, shaking our hands after the game - it was like playing a bunch of regular fellas.

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

We Will Still Take the Title'

The manager coaches the Collegiate veterans team, who secured the Top Tier title the previous campaign, together with his co-manager.

"Our team scored one-nil up and had a

Penny Gaines
Penny Gaines

A seasoned gaming journalist with over a decade of experience covering UK online casinos and responsible gambling practices.