Meet the Sunday Division Club Featuring Nearly Two Thousand Premier League Games

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

What do you improve a excellent experienced side that have claimed consecutive titles, including a double triumph with thirty victories from thirty-two games?

Sign a raft of ex- professionals who have played at the elite tier of club football and global soccer as you aim for more honors.

One Manchester team boasts an amateur veterans squad with 9 former top-flight players in their current roster.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five Global Caps

The team Veterans Over-35s are based in southern Manchester and compete in the Cheshire-based Veterans League Top Division.

Their roster this campaign includes 9 former top-flight players, with a combined nearly 1,800 Premier League appearances.

The high-profile roster also boasts over 220 Premier League goals and 325 international appearances.

They feature one forward, who scored 37 scores in 117 appearances for Newcastle United after signing for them for nine million pounds from German league side Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse had his debut for the team in their most recent home-field game against defending title holders Collegiate Old Boys and scored all six scores in a 6-2 win - featuring a 32-minute opening period triple.

The team for this campaign also includes ex- pros such as England and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the former top-flight footballers have claimed fifteen significant trophies and moved for total transfer sums of around £123 million.

Household Names and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He won 6 Irish caps, netting 4 scores

Ireland started playing for the side in pre-season this season through close friend and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish midfielder then asked other former professionals, who all compete in a midweek small-sided match, to participate.

Ex- Senegal forward Oumar Niasse, who netted twelve goals in 65 Premier League matches for the Toffees and still attends their home games, also made his first appearance versus the opposition - who are located in the city and use an Blue warm-up gear as their uniform.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
Oumar Niasse featured for the club between 2016 and 2020

"My friend Stephen Ireland said 'come and have a game, it's enjoyable'," commented Niasse.

"After that he told me we were playing a team from the city and the shock I had when I saw them wearing Blue shirts - I thought this is wrong for me!

"When you still enjoy football and you know you can still play, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to choose?

"Those spectators who turn up and watch are pleased and to give a moment if they watch us playing there and to ask us questions - it's really about the joy of us having a place we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

Such is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse made his debut at defender.

"It's a bit different but then, I enjoy running and just go inside - I'm not defending that much," he said.

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

"That running is what I'm looking for. It's enjoyable."

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

Dreamlike' Feeling

In addition to the forward's 6 goals on his first game, Ireland has netted 8 in 3 appearances for Wythenshawe, while Boyd hit 5 on his debut appearance and Lescott, a defender by trade, scored a triple in one game up front.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Top Tier with 3 victories from 3 and a goal difference of +19.

One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the wing for Collegiate OB, came up against ex- Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his nine-year-old boy who Emile Heskey was.

He has appeared at 2 global tournaments for Honduras, in addition to playing in more than 200 Premier League games.

"It was going round like wildfire they had all these former top-flight stars," remarked the player.

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

"Also Emile [Heskey] got on and he's has 60-odd England appearances.

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

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

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

"Now we are eager for the return match."

We Will Still Take the Title'

The manager manages the opposition vets side, who won the Top Division championship last season, along with Paul Maguire.

"We went one-nil up and had a

Martin Walker
Martin Walker

A seasoned gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in online casino trends and player psychology.