Discover the Sunday Division Team Featuring Nearly Two Thousand Premier League Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for Wythenshawe Vets during a 6-2 triumph versus Collegiate Old Boys on October 19th (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How do you boost a outstanding veteran team that have claimed consecutive titles, featuring a double triumph boasting 30 victories from thirty-two games?

Bring in a raft of ex- professionals who have performed at the elite level of club football and international football as you aim for further silverware.

One Greater Manchester side boasts an non-professional veterans team with nine ex- Premier League players in their present lineup.

222 Top Division Scores, 325 Global Caps

The team Vets Over 35s are located in south the city and play in the Cheshire Vets Division Premier Tier.

The squad list this season features nine ex- Premier League players, with a combined 1,801 elite games.

The high-profile team also contains over 220 Premier League goals and over 320 global caps.

The squad feature one forward, who notched thirty-seven scores in 117 appearances for his former club after joining them for £9m from Bundesliga club Freiburg in 2012.

He had his debut for Wythenshawe in their last home-field game against defending title holders Collegiate Old Boys and netted all six scores in a six-two win - including a half-hour first-half hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's roster for this campaign also includes former professionals such as English and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley winger George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former top-flight players have secured fifteen big honors and transferred for total transfer sums of around £123m.

Famous Figures and Global Players

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

Stephen Ireland started turning out for the team during preseason this season through close mate and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland midfielder then invited other ex-pros, who all play in a midweek nine-a-side game, to join in.

Ex- Senegal forward Oumar Niasse, who scored 12 scores in 65 Premier League matches for Everton and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also made his debut against Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and wear an Everton warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

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

"After that he told me we were playing a side from Liverpool and the shock I had when I noticed them sporting Blue kits - I thought this is wrong for me!

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

"The spectators who come and see are pleased and to give someone's moment if they see us playing there and to pose us queries - it's more like the pleasure of us getting somewhere we can play, with structure of course."

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

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

"I tell my defender 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to keep running.

"The movement is what I'm looking for. It's enjoyable."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is turning out for the team

Unreal Experience

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

The team are leading of the Top Division with three wins from 3 and a GD of +19.

Paul Barrow, 38, who features on the wing for the opposition, came up against ex- Wigan defender Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young son who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at two World Cups for Honduras, in as well as playing in more than two hundred Premier League games.

"It was going round like wildfire they had these former top-flight players," remarked Barrow.

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

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

"We held our own for a solid 20 minutes but then we had a player dismissed and it was tough.

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

"The opponents were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a bunch of regular guys.

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

We Will Still Win the League'

Andy Kirby manages the opposition veterans team, who won the Top Tier title the previous campaign, along with Paul Maguire.

"We went 1-0 up and had a

Michelle Howard
Michelle Howard

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