Introduce the Weekend Division Squad With 1,800 Premier League Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for the team Vets during a 6-2 victory against their opponents on October 19th (left to right) - one player, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you enhance a outstanding veteran squad who have claimed back-to-back championships, including a double triumph boasting 30 victories from thirty-two games?

Sign a group of former pro players who have performed at the elite level of club football and international soccer as you target additional silverware.

A Manchester team has an non-professional vets squad with nine former top-flight players in their active lineup.

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

Wythenshawe Vets Over-35s are based in south the city and play in the Cheshire-based Veterans Division Premier Tier.

The lineup this campaign features nine former Premier League players, with a combined nearly 1,800 elite matches.

This high-profile team also includes 222 top division scores and over 320 international caps.

The squad feature one forward, who scored thirty-seven goals in over 100 games for Newcastle United after moving to them for ÂŁ9m from German league side SC Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse had his debut for Wythenshawe in their most recent home-field match against reigning champions their rivals and netted every one of the six scores in a 6-2 win - featuring a 32-minute first-half triple.

The team for this season also includes ex- professionals such as English and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley winger George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the former top-flight footballers have secured 15 major honors and transferred for combined transfer sums of approximately ÂŁ123 million.

Famous Names and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned 6 Republic of Ireland appearances, scoring 4 goals

Ireland began playing for the side during preseason this summer through close mate and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the former Irish player then invited additional former professionals, who all play in a weekly nine-a-side match, to participate.

Ex- Senegal forward Oumar Niasse, who scored twelve goals in sixty-five top-flight games for Everton and still goes to their home games, also had his first appearance versus the opposition - who are located in Liverpool and use an Everton warm-up gear as their strip.

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

"A mate Stephen Ireland told me 'join and have a game, it's enjoyable'," commented Niasse.

"Then he informed me we were facing a side from the city and the shock I had when I saw them sporting Everton kits - I say this is strange for me!

"If you still love the game and you feel you can still play, anywhere you can play, what are you going to choose?

"The spectators who turn up and watch are happy and to give someone's moment if they see us playing there and to ask us queries - it's more like the pleasure of us getting somewhere we can play, with organisation of course."

So great is the bench strength at the club, Niasse had his debut at full-back.

"It's a bit unusual but then, I love 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 movement is what I'm looking for. It's good fun."

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

'Surreal Scenario

In addition to Cisse's six scores on his first game, Ireland has netted eight in 3 games for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd scored 5 on his first match and Joleon Lescott, a defender by position, scored a triple in one match as a striker.

The team are top of the Top Division with 3 wins from three and a GD of plus nineteen.

Paul Barrow, 38, who plays on the flank for the opposition, came up against ex- Wigan full-back Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young boy who Heskey was.

He has played at 2 global tournaments for his country, in as well as playing in more than two hundred Premier League matches.

"The news was spreading like wildfire they had these former top-flight stars," said Barrow.

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

"Also Emile [Heskey] came on and he's has 60-odd English caps.

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

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

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

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

'We'll Still Win the League'

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

"Our team went one-nil ahead and had a

Barry Medina
Barry Medina

Elena is a seasoned life coach and author specializing in mindset transformation and luck optimization.