Meet the Weekend Division Team Featuring Over 1,800 Top-Flight Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for the team Vets during a six-two victory against their opponents on 19 October (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How can you boost a excellent veteran team who have secured consecutive championships, including a league-cup double with thirty victories from 32 matches?

Recruit a collection of ex- professionals that have performed at the elite level of club football and international soccer as you aim for more honors.

One Greater Manchester side fields an amateur vets squad with nine ex- top-flight players in their present roster.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Scores, 325 International Appearances

The team Veterans Over-35s are based in southern Manchester and play in the Cheshire Veterans Division Premier Tier.

The lineup this season features nine ex- top-flight footballers, with a collective over 1,800 Premier League games.

The high-profile squad also includes over 220 Premier League goals and 325 international caps.

The squad include one forward, who netted thirty-seven scores in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after signing for them for £9m from German league side Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse had his debut for the team in their last home game versus reigning champions Collegiate Old Boys and netted all six scores in a six-two win - including a half-hour first-half triple.

Wythenshawe's roster for this season also features ex- professionals such as English and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former Premier League footballers have secured fifteen big trophies and moved for combined transfer sums of approximately £123 million.

Famous Names and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned six Republic of Ireland appearances, netting 4 scores

Ireland started turning out for the team in pre-season this summer through good mate and present Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland midfielder then invited additional former professionals, who all play in a midweek small-sided game, to participate.

Former Senegalese striker Niasse, who netted twelve scores in sixty-five top-flight games for Everton and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also had his debut versus the opposition - who are located in the city and wear an Blue training kit as their strip.

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

"My mate Stephen said 'join and play, it's a laugh'," said Niasse.

"Then he told me we were playing a team from Liverpool and the shock I had when I saw them sporting Everton shirts - I thought this is strange for me!

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

"Those spectators who turn up and see are pleased and to give someone's day if they see us competing there and to pose us queries - it's really about the pleasure of us having a place we can play, with structure of course."

So great is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse had his first game at full-back.

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

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

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

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

Unreal Experience

Along with the forward's six goals on debut, Ireland has netted 8 in three games for the side, while Boyd hit five on his first appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by trade, scored a triple in one game as a striker.

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

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who features on the flank for Collegiate OB, faced ex- Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his young boy who Heskey was.

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

"The news was spreading like wildfire they had these former top-flight stars," remarked Barrow.

"I think I was a little awestruck playing against Figueroa to be honest.

"Even Heskey came on and he's has over 60 England appearances.

"Our side competed well for a good twenty minutes but then we had a player dismissed and it was hard.

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

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

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

'We'll Still Take the League'

Andy Kirby manages the Collegiate veterans side, who secured the Premier Division title the previous campaign, together with his co-manager.

"We scored 1-0 up and had a

Robert Ward
Robert Ward

A business strategist and innovation consultant with over 15 years of experience helping companies navigate digital transformation.