Meet the Weekend Division Team Boasting Nearly Two Thousand Premier League Appearances

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

How do you boost a outstanding experienced squad who have claimed back-to-back titles, featuring a double triumph boasting 30 victories from thirty-two matches?

Bring in a collection of ex- pro players that have performed at the top level of club football and global soccer as you target further silverware.

One Manchester club has an amateur veterans team with nine ex- Premier League footballers in their present lineup.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Scores, Three Hundred Twenty-Five Global Caps

Wythenshawe Veterans Over 35s are located in southern Manchester and play in the Cheshire Veterans League Premier Tier.

The lineup this season boasts nine former top-flight footballers, with a total 1,801 elite matches.

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

They include Papiss Cisse, who netted thirty-seven scores in over 100 games for his former club after joining them for nine million pounds from German league side SC Freiburg in 2012.

He made his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their most recent home-field game against reigning champions their rivals and netted every one of the six goals in a 6-2 victory - featuring a 32-minute first-half hat-trick.

The team for this campaign also features ex- professionals such as England and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the ex- Premier League players have won 15 major trophies and moved for combined transfer sums of around £123m.

Well-Known Names and Global Players

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

Ireland started turning out for the team during preseason this summer through good mate and present team player Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland midfielder then asked other ex-pros, who all compete in a weekly small-sided game, to join in.

Ex- Senegal forward Niasse, who netted 12 goals in 65 top-flight games for Everton and still attends their matches at Goodison Park, also had his first appearance against Collegiate OB - who are based in the city and use an Blue warm-up gear as their strip.

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

"My mate Stephen told me 'join and have a game, it's enjoyable'," commented the striker.

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

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

"The spectators who come and see are pleased and to give a day if they see us competing there and to pose us queries - it's more like the pleasure of us having somewhere we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

Such is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, he made his first game at full-back.

"That's a bit different but then, I enjoy sprinting and just move forward - I'm not defending that much," he said.

"I warn my defender 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to keep attacking.

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

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

Dreamlike' Feeling

Along with Cisse's 6 goals on debut, Stephen Ireland has netted eight in three appearances for Wythenshawe, while Boyd scored five on his first match and Lescott, a defender by position, notched a triple in one game as a striker.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Premier Tier with 3 victories from 3 and a goal difference of plus nineteen.

Paul Barrow, 38, who plays on the wing for the opposition, came up against former Wigan defender Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his nine-year-old boy who Heskey was.

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

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

"I felt I was a bit starstruck playing against him to be honest.

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

"Our side held our own for a good 20 mins but then we had a player dismissed and it was tough.

"Our group literally haven't stopped chatting about it - I was calling my mum and sibling on the journey home.

"The opponents were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a bunch of regular guys.

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

We Will Still Win the League'

Andy Kirby coaches the opposition vets team, who secured the Top Tier championship the previous campaign, along with Paul Maguire.

"Our team went 1-0 ahead and had a

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