Discover the Weekend League Squad With Over 1,800 Top-Flight Matches

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

What do you improve a outstanding veteran side who have secured back-to-back titles, including a league-cup double with 30 wins from thirty-two games?

Bring in a collection of ex- pro players that have played at the top level of club and global football as you target further trophies.

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

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

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

Their lineup this campaign includes 9 ex- Premier League footballers, with a total 1,801 top-flight appearances.

The star-studded roster also includes over 220 top division scores and 325 global appearances.

The squad feature one forward, who scored thirty-seven goals in 117 appearances for his former club after signing for them for £9m from German league club SC Freiburg in 2012.

He made his debut for the team in their last home game against reigning champions their rivals and scored all six goals in a six-two win - featuring a half-hour first-half triple.

The roster for this campaign also includes former pros such as England and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the former Premier League footballers have secured fifteen significant honors and moved for total transfer sums of about £123m.

Famous Figures and International Players

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

Stephen Ireland began turning out for the side during preseason this summer through good friend and current team player Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish player then asked other former professionals, who all play in a midweek small-sided game, to join in.

Former Senegalese forward Niasse, who scored 12 goals in sixty-five top-flight matches for the Toffees and even now goes to their home games, also had his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are based in the city and wear an Blue warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

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

"After that he told me we were facing a side from the city and the surprise I had when I saw them sporting Everton kits - I thought this is strange for me!

"When you still enjoy the game and you know you can still play, anywhere you can play, what are you going to choose?

"The people who turn up and see are pleased and to make someone's moment if they watch us competing there and to ask us queries - it's more like the joy of us having somewhere we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

Such is the bench strength at Wythenshawe, Niasse had his first game at defender.

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

"I warn my defender 'I'm not hanging back' and that I'm just going to keep attacking.

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa is playing for Wythenshawe

'Surreal Scenario

Along with the forward's six goals on debut, Stephen Ireland has netted 8 in three appearances for the side, while George Boyd scored 5 on his debut appearance and Lescott, a centre-half by position, notched a hat-trick in one match as a striker.

Wythenshawe are top of the Top Tier with 3 victories from 3 and a GD of plus nineteen.

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who features on the wing for Collegiate OB, faced former Latics defender Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his nine-year-old boy who Heskey was.

He has played at 2 World Cups for Honduras, in as well as featuring in over 200 Premier League matches.

"It was spreading like wildfire they had these former top-flight players," said the player.

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

"Even Emile [Heskey] got on and he's got over 60 English appearances.

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

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

"The opponents were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the match - it was like facing a group of normal guys.

"Now we are eager for the return fixture."

We Will Still Take the League'

Andy Kirby coaches the opposition veterans side, who won the Top Division championship the previous campaign, together with his co-manager.

"We went 1-0 ahead and had a

William Kramer
William Kramer

A tech journalist specializing in cloud gaming innovations and digital entertainment trends, with over a decade of industry experience.