Meet this Sunday Division Club Featuring 1,800 Top-Flight Games

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

What can you enhance a excellent veteran squad who have won consecutive titles, including a double triumph boasting 30 wins from 32 games?

Bring in a group of ex- pro players who have competed at the highest tier of club and international football as you target additional silverware.

A Greater Manchester team boasts an non-professional vets team with 9 former top-flight players in their active squad.

222 Premier League Scores, 325 Global Caps

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

The lineup this season includes 9 former top-flight footballers, with a collective nearly 1,800 elite games.

This high-profile roster also contains 222 top division goals and 325 international caps.

They include Papiss Cisse, who netted thirty-seven goals in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after joining them for £9m from German league club Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse had his debut for Wythenshawe in their last home-field match versus reigning title holders Collegiate Old Boys and scored all six scores in a 6-2 win - including a 32-minute opening period triple.

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

In total, the former Premier League footballers have claimed fifteen significant honors and moved for total transfer sums of approximately £123m.

Well-Known Names and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned six Irish caps, netting 4 goals

Ireland began turning out for the side during preseason this season through good friend and current team player Blake Norton, and the former Irish player then invited additional former professionals, who all play in a midweek small-sided game, to join in.

Former Senegal striker Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 scores in sixty-five top-flight matches for the Toffees and even now goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also had his debut versus Collegiate OB - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Blue training kit as their strip.

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

"A mate Stephen said 'come and have a game, it's enjoyable'," said the striker.

"Then he told me we were facing a side from the city and the shock I had when I saw them sporting Everton shirts - I say this is strange for me!

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

"Those people who come and watch are pleased and to give a moment if they watch us competing 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 the club, he made his debut at defender.

"It's a bit unusual but then, I enjoy running and just go forward - I'm not staying back that much," he said.

"I warn my centre-back 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to continue running.

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

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

Unreal Experience

In addition to Cisse's six scores on his first game, Ireland has scored eight in three appearances for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd hit 5 on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a triple in one game as a striker.

Wythenshawe are top of the Premier Tier with three wins from three and a GD of +19.

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who plays on the wing for the opposition, came up against ex- Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his nine-year-old boy who Emile Heskey was.

He has appeared at 2 World Cups for his country, in as well as featuring in over two hundred top-flight games.

"The news was going round like a rumor they had these ex-Premier League stars," remarked the player.

"I felt I was a little awestruck facing him to be honest.

"Also Heskey came on and he's got over 60 England appearances.

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

"Our group literally have not ceased chatting about it - I was calling my mother and brother on the way 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 return fixture."

We Will Still Win the Title'

Andy Kirby coaches the opposition veterans side, who won the Premier Tier title last season, along with Paul Maguire.

"We scored one-nil up and had a

Nathan Kennedy
Nathan Kennedy

Lotte is een ervaren outdoorliefhebber en reisblogger met een passie voor het ontdekken van verborgen plekken.

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