Introduce the Weekend League Squad Featuring Nearly Two Thousand Top-Flight Matches

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

How can you improve a excellent experienced team who have won consecutive titles, including a league-cup double boasting thirty wins from 32 games?

Sign a raft of ex- pro players who have played at the elite level of club and global football as you aim for more honors.

A Greater Manchester team boasts an amateur vets squad with 9 former top-flight footballers in their active lineup.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Scores, 325 Global Caps

Wythenshawe Vets Over 35s are located in southern the city and play in the Cheshire Vets League Top Division.

Their roster this campaign includes nine ex- top-flight footballers, with a total 1,801 Premier League matches.

The star-studded squad also includes over 220 top division scores and over 320 global caps.

The squad include Papiss Cisse, who netted 37 goals in 117 games for Newcastle United after joining them for £9m from Bundesliga club Freiburg in 2012.

He made his first appearance for the team in their most recent home-field game against defending champions Collegiate Old Boys and netted every one of the six scores in a 6-2 victory - including a 32-minute first-half triple.

Wythenshawe's roster for this campaign also features former professionals such as England and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the former Premier League players have claimed fifteen big trophies and transferred for combined transfer fees of around £123m.

Household Names and International Players

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned six Irish appearances, scoring 4 goals

Ireland began turning out for the team in preseason this season through good friend and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland midfielder then invited additional ex-pros, who all play in a weekly nine-a-side match, to participate.

Former Senegalese striker Niasse, who netted 12 goals in sixty-five Premier League matches for Everton and even now goes to their home games, 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
He featured for the club from 2016 and 2020

"My mate Stephen said 'come and play, it's a laugh'," said the striker.

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

"If you still enjoy football and you feel you can still do it, anywhere you can kick a ball, what are you going to choose?

"Those fans who come and watch are pleased and to give a moment if they see us playing there and to pose us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us having a place we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

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

"It's a bit unusual but then, I enjoy running and just move inside - I'm not defending that much," he said.

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa is turning out for Wythenshawe

'Surreal Experience

In addition to the forward's six goals on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored eight in three appearances for Wythenshawe, while Boyd scored 5 on his first appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by position, scored a triple in one game as a striker.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Premier Tier with 3 victories from 3 and a GD of +19.

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

He has played at 2 global tournaments for his country, in as well as featuring in over two hundred Premier League matches.

"The news was going round like wildfire they had these ex-Premier League stars," said Barrow.

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

"Also Heskey came on and he's got over 60 England appearances.

"Our side competed well for a good twenty mins but then we had a player sent off and it was hard.

"We really have not stopped chatting about it - I was calling my mother and brother on the way home.

"They were all really nice, shaking our hands after the game - it was like playing a group of regular fellas.

"Now we are eager for the second match."

'We'll Still Take the Title'

The manager coaches the opposition vets team, who secured the Top Tier title the previous campaign, together with Paul Maguire.

"We went one-nil ahead and had a

Robert Alexander
Robert Alexander

A passionate chef and food writer specializing in Indian cuisine, sharing traditional recipes with modern twists.