Meet the Sunday Division Squad Boasting Nearly Two Thousand Premier League Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for Wythenshawe Veterans during a six-two win versus their opponents on October 19th (from left to right) - one player, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you enhance a outstanding veteran side that have won back-to-back championships, including a double triumph with thirty victories from 32 matches?

Recruit a collection of former professionals who have competed at the top tier of club football and international football as you target further silverware.

A Greater Manchester side has an amateur veterans squad with 9 former Premier League players in their active lineup.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Goals, 325 International Appearances

The team Veterans Over 35s are based in southern the city and compete in the Cheshire Vets League Top Tier.

The roster this season features nine ex- Premier League players, with a collective over 1,800 top-flight appearances.

The elite roster also includes over 220 Premier League goals and over 320 global caps.

The squad feature one forward, who netted 37 scores in over 100 appearances for his former club after signing for them for £9m from German league club SC Freiburg in January 2012.

He made his first appearance for the team in their last home game against defending title holders their rivals and netted every one of the six goals in a six-two win - including a half-hour opening period hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's roster for this season also includes former pros such as English and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley winger George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the ex- top-flight players have won fifteen major trophies and moved for total transfer fees of around £123m.

Household Figures and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland won 6 Republic of Ireland caps, scoring 4 goals

Stephen Ireland started playing for the side in pre-season this summer through close mate and present Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the former Irish midfielder then asked other ex-pros, who all compete in a weekly nine-a-side match, to join in.

Former Senegal forward Niasse, who scored 12 scores in sixty-five top-flight games for Everton and still attends their home games, also made his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are based in the city and use an Everton training kit as their strip.

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

"My friend Stephen told me 'come and play, it's good fun'," commented Niasse.

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

"When you still love football and you know you can still play, anywhere you can play, what are you going to choose?

"Those spectators who come and see are happy and to give someone's moment if they see us competing there and to ask us queries - it's more like the pleasure of us getting a place we can play, with structure of course."

So great is the bench strength at the club, he had his debut at defender.

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

"I warn my defender 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to continue running.

"The running is what I'm after. It's good fun."

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

Dreamlike' Experience

In addition to Cisse's six goals on his first game, Stephen Ireland has scored 8 in three games for the side, while Boyd hit 5 on his debut match and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a hat-trick in one match up front.

Wythenshawe are top of the Top Tier with three wins from three and a goal difference of plus nineteen.

One opponent, 38, who features on the flank for Collegiate OB, came up against former Wigan defender Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his nine-year-old son who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at 2 World Cups for Honduras, in as well as playing in more than two hundred top-flight matches.

"It was spreading like a rumor they had these ex-Premier League players," said Barrow.

"I felt I was a bit starstruck playing against Figueroa to be honest.

"Also Heskey got on and he's has over 60 England caps.

"We competed well for a solid 20 minutes but then we had a man dismissed and it was tough.

"Our group really have not ceased chatting about it - I was phoning my mother and sibling on the journey home.

"They were all dead sound, 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'll Still Win the League'

Andy Kirby manages the opposition vets side, who secured the Premier Division championship the previous campaign, along with his co-manager.

"Our team went 1-0 up and had a

David Ewing
David Ewing

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