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

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The substitutes for Wythenshawe Veterans in a 6-2 win versus their opponents on 19 October (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you boost a stellar experienced squad who have claimed back-to-back titles, featuring a league-cup double with 30 wins from 32 matches?

Bring in a collection of former professionals who have performed at the top tier of club football and global soccer as you target further silverware.

A Manchester club has an amateur veterans team with 9 former Premier League players in their active roster.

222 Premier League Goals, 325 Global Appearances

Wythenshawe Veterans Over-35s are situated in southern Manchester and compete in the Cheshire-based Veterans Division Premier Tier.

Their squad list this campaign boasts nine former top-flight footballers, with a collective nearly 1,800 Premier League games.

This elite squad also contains over 220 Premier League scores and 325 international caps.

They include Papiss Cisse, who notched thirty-seven goals in over 100 appearances for his former club after signing for them for £9m from German league club SC Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse had his debut for Wythenshawe in their last home match versus reigning champions their rivals and scored every one of the six scores in a six-two victory - including a 32-minute first-half triple.

Wythenshawe's roster for this season also includes ex- pros such as England and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the ex- top-flight players have won fifteen significant trophies and moved for combined transfer fees of approximately £123m.

Household Names and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned 6 Irish appearances, scoring four goals

Stephen Ireland started playing for the team during preseason this summer through good friend and present team player Blake Norton, and the former Irish player then asked additional ex-pros, who all play in a weekly nine-a-side match, to participate.

Former Senegal forward Niasse, who netted twelve goals in sixty-five Premier League matches for Everton and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also made his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and wear an Blue warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

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

"Then he informed me we were playing a team from the city and the shock I had when I saw them sporting Blue shirts - I thought this is wrong for me!

"When you still love football and you feel you can still play, anywhere you can kick a ball, what are you going to choose?

"Those spectators who come and watch are pleased and to give a day if they see us competing there and to ask us questions - it's more like the joy of us having somewhere we can play, with structure of course."

So great is the bench strength at Wythenshawe, he made his first game at defender.

"That's a little unusual but then, I enjoy running and just go forward - I'm not staying back that much," he added.

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa is playing for Wythenshawe

'Surreal Feeling

In addition to Cisse's 6 goals on his first game, Ireland has scored 8 in three games for Wythenshawe, while Boyd hit 5 on his first appearance and Joleon Lescott, a defender by position, scored a hat-trick in one match as a striker.

Wythenshawe are top of the Premier Tier with three victories from 3 and a goal difference of +19.

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

Figueroa has appeared at 2 global tournaments for his country, in addition to featuring in over 200 Premier League games.

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

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

"Even Heskey got on and he's got 60-odd England caps.

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

"Our group literally haven't stopped talking about it - I was phoning my mother and sibling on the journey home.

"The opponents were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the game - it was like playing a group of normal fellas.

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

'We'll Still Take the Title'

Andy Kirby manages the opposition veterans team, who secured the Premier Tier championship last season, together with Paul Maguire.

"We went 1-0 ahead and had a

Matthew Ramirez
Matthew Ramirez

A wellness coach and writer passionate about holistic health and mindful living, sharing evidence-based tips for everyday balance.