Meet the Sunday Division Club Boasting Over 1,800 Premier League Appearances

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

How can you enhance a stellar veteran squad who have claimed back-to-back titles, including a double triumph boasting thirty wins from thirty-two matches?

Sign a group of former pro players that have competed at the top tier of club football and global football as you target further silverware.

One Greater Manchester team fields an amateur vets squad with 9 ex- top-flight footballers in their current lineup.

222 Premier League Scores, Three Hundred Twenty-Five International Appearances

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

The roster this campaign features nine former top-flight players, with a collective 1,801 Premier League appearances.

This high-profile roster also includes over 220 top division scores and 325 international caps.

The squad include Papiss Cisse, who notched thirty-seven scores in 117 appearances for his former club after signing for them for £9m from Bundesliga club SC Freiburg in 2012.

He had his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their most recent home match versus reigning champions their rivals and scored all six scores in a six-two win - featuring a half-hour first-half hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's team for this campaign also features ex- pros such as England and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the former Premier League footballers have claimed fifteen major honors and moved for combined transfer fees of around £123m.

Well-Known Names and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland won six Irish appearances, scoring 4 goals

Stephen Ireland started playing for the side during preseason this summer through close friend and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland player then invited other ex-pros, who all compete in a weekly small-sided game, to participate.

Former Senegal forward Oumar Niasse, who scored 12 scores in 65 Premier League games for Everton and even now attends their home games, also had his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and use an Blue training kit as their uniform.

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

"A mate Stephen Ireland said 'join and have a game, it's a laugh'," commented Niasse.

"After that he informed me we were playing a side from the city and the surprise I had when I saw them wearing Everton shirts - I say this is wrong for me!

"If you still love the game and you know you can still play, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?

"Those people who turn up and watch are pleased and to give someone's day if they see us competing there and to pose us queries - it's more like the pleasure of us getting a place we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

Such is the strength in depth at the club, Niasse made his debut at full-back.

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

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is playing for Wythenshawe

Unreal Experience

Along with the forward's 6 goals on debut, Stephen Ireland has netted eight in three appearances for Wythenshawe, while Boyd scored five on his first appearance and Lescott, a centre-half by trade, scored a triple in one game up front.

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

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who features on the wing for Collegiate OB, faced ex- Wigan full-back Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his young son who Emile Heskey was.

He has played at 2 global tournaments for his country, in as well as featuring in more than two hundred top-flight matches.

"The news was spreading like a rumor they had all these ex-Premier League stars," remarked the player.

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

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

"Our side competed well for a good twenty mins but then we had a man sent off and it was tough.

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

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

"Now we are eager for the return match."

'We'll Still Win the Title'

Andy Kirby coaches the Collegiate veterans team, who won the Premier Division championship last season, along with Paul Maguire.

"We scored one-nil ahead and had a

Matthew Brown
Matthew Brown

A quantum physicist and tech writer with over 15 years of experience in quantum computing research and industry applications.