Introduce the Weekend Division Team Featuring Nearly Two Thousand Premier League Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The substitutes for Wythenshawe Vets in a six-two win against Collegiate Old Boys on October 19th (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How can you boost a excellent veteran side who have won consecutive championships, including a league-cup double boasting thirty victories from thirty-two games?

Recruit a raft of former professionals who have performed at the top level of club and global soccer as you pursue additional honors.

One Manchester team fields an non-professional veterans squad with 9 former top-flight players in their present squad.

222 Top Division Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five International Caps

Wythenshawe Vets Over 35s are based in southern the city and play in the Cheshire Veterans League Top Tier.

Their lineup this season boasts 9 ex- top-flight footballers, with a combined 1,801 elite games.

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

The squad feature Papiss Cisse, who notched 37 scores in over 100 appearances for his former club after joining them for £9m from German league club SC Freiburg in 2012.

He had his first appearance for the team in their most recent home-field game against reigning title holders their rivals and netted every one of the six scores in a 6-2 win - including a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's squad for this campaign also includes former professionals such as English and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the ex- Premier League players have secured 15 major trophies and moved for combined transfer sums of around £123m.

Well-Known Names and Global Players

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

Stephen Ireland began turning out for the side during preseason this summer through close mate and present Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland player then invited additional ex-pros, who all play in a weekly small-sided match, to join in.

Ex- Senegal striker Oumar Niasse, who netted twelve scores in 65 Premier League matches for Everton and even now attends their home games, also made his debut against the opposition - who are located in the city and use an Everton training kit as their strip.

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

"A friend Stephen Ireland told me 'join and play, it's a laugh'," said the striker.

"Then he told me we were playing a side from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I noticed them sporting Blue kits - I say this is wrong for me!

"When you still enjoy football and you feel you can still do it, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?

"Those spectators who turn up and watch are happy and to give someone's day if they watch us competing there and to ask us queries - it's more like the joy of us having a place we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

Such is the bench strength at Wythenshawe, Niasse had his first game at full-back.

"It's a little different but then, I enjoy 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.

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

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

Dreamlike' Scenario

In addition to Cisse's 6 scores on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored eight in 3 appearances for Wythenshawe, while Boyd scored 5 on his first appearance and Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a triple in one match up front.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Premier Tier with three wins from three and a goal difference of +19.

Paul Barrow, 38, who features on the flank for Collegiate OB, faced former Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - 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 over 200 Premier League games.

"The news was going round like wildfire they had all these ex-Premier League players," remarked the player.

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

"Even Heskey came on and he's has 60-odd English appearances.

"Our side competed well for a good 20 minutes but then we had a player dismissed and it was hard.

"We literally haven't ceased talking about it - I was calling my mum and brother on the way home.

"They were all friendly, shaking our hands after the match - it was like facing a bunch of normal fellas.

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

We Will Still Take the League'

The manager coaches the Collegiate veterans side, who won the Premier Tier title the previous campaign, along with Paul Maguire.

"We went 1-0 up and had a

Vincent Schultz
Vincent Schultz

A seasoned sports analyst with over a decade of experience in betting markets, specializing in data-driven predictions and risk management strategies.