Meet this Sunday Division Team Boasting Over 1,800 Top-Flight Appearances

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

What can you enhance a stellar veteran side that have claimed consecutive titles, featuring a league-cup double boasting 30 wins from 32 games?

Recruit a group of former professionals that have performed at the top tier of club and global soccer as you target more silverware.

A Greater Manchester club has an non-professional vets team with 9 ex- top-flight footballers in their current squad.

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

Wythenshawe Veterans Over 35s are based in southern Manchester and compete in the Cheshire-based Veterans Division Top Tier.

Their squad list this campaign boasts 9 ex- top-flight players, with a combined nearly 1,800 top-flight matches.

This elite team also contains over 220 top division scores and over 320 global appearances.

The squad include Papiss Cisse, who notched thirty-seven goals in over 100 appearances for his former club after signing for them for nine million pounds from German league club Freiburg in 2012.

He made his debut for Wythenshawe in their last home game against reigning champions Collegiate Old Boys and netted all six goals in a 6-2 win - including a half-hour first-half triple.

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

In total, the former Premier League players have claimed 15 significant honors and moved for combined transfer sums of around £123m.

Well-Known Names and International Players

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned six Republic of Ireland caps, netting 4 scores

Stephen Ireland began turning out for the side during pre-season this summer through close mate and current team teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland player then asked additional ex-pros, who all play in a weekly nine-a-side match, to participate.

Ex- Senegal striker Oumar Niasse, who netted twelve scores in sixty-five Premier League matches for Everton and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also made his debut versus Collegiate OB - who are located in Liverpool and use an Blue warm-up gear as their uniform.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
Oumar Niasse played for Everton between 2016 and 2020

"A friend Stephen Ireland told me 'join and play, it's a laugh'," commented Niasse.

"After that he told me we were facing a team from Liverpool and the shock I had when I saw them sporting Blue shirts - I say this is wrong for me!

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

"Those people who turn up and watch are happy and to make someone's day if they see us playing there and to pose us queries - it's really about the pleasure of us getting somewhere we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

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

"That's a little different but then, I love running and just go forward - I'm not defending that much," he added.

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

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

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

'Surreal Experience

In addition to the forward's six goals on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored 8 in 3 appearances for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd scored five on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by position, scored a triple in one game up front.

The team are top of the Premier Division with 3 victories from 3 and a goal difference of +19.

One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the flank for Collegiate OB, faced former Wigan defender Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his nine-year-old boy who Heskey was.

He has played at 2 World Cups for his country, in as well as featuring in more than 200 top-flight matches.

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

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

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

"Our side held our own for a solid twenty minutes but then we had a man dismissed and it was hard.

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

"They were all really nice, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a bunch of normal fellas.

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

We Will Still Win the Title'

Andy Kirby manages the opposition veterans team, who secured the Top Division title the previous campaign, together with his co-manager.

"Our team went one-nil ahead and had a

Darlene Forbes
Darlene Forbes

Maya Chen is a tech journalist and innovation strategist with over a decade of experience covering Canada's digital transformation and startup landscape.