Meet the Sunday Division Club Boasting 1,800 Premier League Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for Wythenshawe Vets during a 6-2 win against their opponents on October 19th (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, another, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How can you boost a stellar experienced side who have secured consecutive championships, featuring a double triumph boasting thirty wins from 32 matches?

Bring in a raft of ex- professionals that have played at the top level of club and global football as you aim for further honors.

One Greater Manchester club boasts an amateur veterans team with 9 ex- Premier League footballers in their active squad.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Goals, 325 International Caps

The team Veterans Over 35s are located in southern the city and compete in the Cheshire Vets League Premier Tier.

The lineup this campaign features nine ex- top-flight footballers, with a total over 1,800 elite appearances.

This star-studded squad also contains 222 top division scores and 325 global caps.

They include Papiss Cisse, who scored thirty-seven goals in 117 appearances for Newcastle United after joining them for nine million pounds from German league club Freiburg in 2012.

He had his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their last home match versus defending champions Collegiate Old Boys and netted every one of the six goals in a six-two victory - featuring a 32-minute first-half triple.

Wythenshawe's team for this campaign also includes ex- pros such as English and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the ex- Premier League players have won 15 big honors and moved for total transfer fees of approximately £123m.

Well-Known Figures and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland won 6 Irish caps, netting four goals

Ireland started playing for the side in preseason this season through close mate and present Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the former Irish player then asked other ex-pros, who all compete in a weekly small-sided match, to participate.

Former Senegal forward Oumar Niasse, who scored twelve goals in 65 top-flight games for Everton and still attends their home games, also had his first appearance against the opposition - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Blue warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

"My mate Stephen Ireland told me 'come and play, it's a laugh'," commented Niasse.

"Then he informed me we were facing a side from the city and the surprise I had when I saw them wearing Everton kits - I thought this is wrong for me!

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

"Those fans 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 more like the pleasure of us having somewhere we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

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

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

"I warn my defender 'I'm not hanging back' 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 defender Maynor Figueroa is playing for Wythenshawe

'Surreal Feeling

Along with Cisse's 6 goals on his first game, Ireland has scored eight in three games for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd scored 5 on his debut match and Lescott, a centre-half by trade, scored a hat-trick in one match as a striker.

Wythenshawe are top of the Top Division with three victories from three and a goal difference of +19.

One opponent, 38, who features on the flank for the opposition, faced former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young son who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at two global tournaments for Honduras, in as well as featuring in more than two hundred top-flight games.

"It was spreading like a rumor they had all these ex-Premier League players," remarked Barrow.

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

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

"We competed well for a good twenty minutes but then we had a player dismissed and it was tough.

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

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

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

'We'll Still Win the Title'

The manager manages the Collegiate vets team, who won the Top Division championship the previous campaign, together with Paul Maguire.

"We scored one-nil up and had a

Veronica Stewart
Veronica Stewart

A seasoned sports analyst with over a decade of experience in predictive modeling and betting strategy development.