Meet this Sunday Division Club Boasting 1,800 English Top Division Appearances

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

How can you improve a outstanding experienced squad who have claimed back-to-back championships, featuring a double triumph with thirty victories from 32 games?

Bring in a group of former professionals that have competed at the top level of club and global soccer as you aim for more honors.

A Greater Manchester team fields an amateur veterans squad with nine ex- Premier League players in their present squad.

222 Premier League Scores, 325 Global Caps

The team Vets Over 35s are based in south the city and play in the Cheshire Vets Division Top Tier.

The roster this season includes 9 former Premier League footballers, with a total nearly 1,800 top-flight games.

The high-profile team also boasts over 220 top division goals and over 320 global caps.

They include Papiss Cisse, who scored 37 goals in 117 appearances for his former club after moving to them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga club SC Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse made his debut for the team in their most recent home match against defending title holders Collegiate Old Boys and netted every one of the six scores in a 6-2 victory - featuring a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.

The squad for this campaign also features ex- professionals such as English and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the ex- Premier League players have won 15 major honors and transferred for combined transfer sums of around £123 million.

Well-Known Names and International Players

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

Stephen Ireland started playing for the side in pre-season this season through close friend and present Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland player then asked other former professionals, who all compete in a weekly small-sided match, to participate.

Former Senegalese forward Niasse, who scored 12 goals in sixty-five Premier League games for the Toffees and still goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also had his debut against the opposition - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Everton warm-up gear as their uniform.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
He played for the club between 2016 and 2020

"My mate Stephen Ireland said 'come and play, it's good fun'," said Niasse.

"After that he informed me we were facing a side from the city and the shock I had when I noticed them sporting Blue shirts - I thought this is strange for me!

"When you still enjoy the game and you know you can still play, anywhere you can kick a ball, what are you going to choose?

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

So great is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, he had his first game at defender.

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

"I tell my centre-back 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to keep running.

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

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

'Surreal Feeling

In addition to the forward's 6 scores on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored 8 in three appearances for the side, while George Boyd scored five on his first appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by position, notched a triple in one match up front.

The team are leading of the Top Tier with three victories from 3 and a goal difference of plus nineteen.

One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the flank for the opposition, faced ex- Wigan full-back Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his young boy who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at two World Cups for Honduras, in addition to featuring in more than 200 top-flight games.

"The news was going round like a rumor they had these former top-flight stars," said the player.

"I think I was a bit awestruck playing against him to be honest.

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

"Our side competed well for a solid 20 mins but then we had a man dismissed and it was hard.

"Our group really haven't ceased talking about it - I was calling my mum and sibling on the journey home.

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

"Now we are eager for the second fixture."

'We'll Still Win the Title'

The manager manages the Collegiate veterans team, who secured the Premier Tier championship the previous campaign, along with Paul Maguire.

"We went 1-0 ahead and had a

Brittany Becker
Brittany Becker

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