Meet this Sunday League Team Boasting Over 1,800 Top-Flight Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for Wythenshawe Vets in a 6-2 victory against their opponents on October 19th (left to right) - one player, another, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How do you improve a stellar veteran side that have claimed back-to-back titles, featuring a double triumph boasting thirty wins from thirty-two matches?

Bring in a group of former professionals who have played at the highest tier of club football and global soccer as you aim for additional honors.

One Manchester club has an amateur veterans squad with 9 ex- top-flight players in their present squad.

222 Top Division Scores, 325 Global Appearances

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

Their squad list this campaign features 9 ex- top-flight footballers, with a total 1,801 top-flight games.

This elite roster also contains over 220 Premier League scores and over 320 global appearances.

They feature one forward, who netted 37 goals in 117 games for Newcastle United after joining them for £9m from German league side SC Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse had his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their last home-field match against defending title holders Collegiate Old Boys and netted all six goals in a six-two victory - including a half-hour first-half triple.

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

Together, the ex- Premier League footballers have won 15 big trophies and moved for total transfer fees of about £123 million.

Well-Known Figures and International Players

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

Stephen Ireland started turning out for the side during pre-season this summer through close mate and current team teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish midfielder then invited additional former professionals, who all compete in a midweek nine-a-side game, to participate.

Ex- Senegalese forward Niasse, who scored twelve scores in 65 top-flight matches for the Toffees and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also had his first appearance versus Collegiate OB - who are located in Liverpool and use an Everton training kit as their strip.

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

"A friend Stephen Ireland said 'come and play, it's good fun'," commented the striker.

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

"When you still love the game and you feel you can still do it, wherever you can play, what are you going to choose?

"The people who turn up and watch are happy and to give someone's moment if they watch us playing there and to pose us queries - it's really about the joy of us getting a place we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

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

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

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

"That movement is what I'm seeking. It's good fun."

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

'Surreal Feeling

Along with Cisse's six scores on his first game, Stephen Ireland has scored eight in 3 games for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd hit 5 on his first appearance and Lescott, a defender by trade, notched a triple in one game as a striker.

Wythenshawe are top of the Premier Tier with 3 victories from three and a goal difference of +19.

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who plays on the wing for the opposition, faced former Latics full-back Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young boy who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at 2 global tournaments for Honduras, in as well as featuring in more than 200 Premier League matches.

"The news was going round like wildfire they had these former top-flight stars," said Barrow.

"I think I was a little awestruck facing Figueroa to be honest.

"Also Emile [Heskey] got on and he's has over 60 England caps.

"We competed well for a good 20 minutes but then we had a man dismissed and it was hard.

"Our group really haven't stopped talking about it - I was phoning my mum and sibling on the way home.

"The opponents were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the match - it was like facing a group of normal guys.

"Now we are eager for the second match."

We Will Still Win the Title'

The manager coaches the opposition vets side, who secured the Top Tier title last season, together with Paul Maguire.

"Our team scored 1-0 ahead and had a

Mr. James Nguyen
Mr. James Nguyen

A tech enthusiast and digital strategist with over a decade of experience in reviewing gadgets and sharing innovative lifestyle solutions.