Meet the Sunday League Squad Featuring Nearly Two Thousand Top-Flight Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The substitutes for the team Veterans in a 6-2 win versus Collegiate Old Boys on 19 October (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you enhance a outstanding experienced side who have claimed back-to-back titles, including a league-cup double with 30 wins from thirty-two matches?

Sign a group of former pro players that have performed at the highest level of club and international soccer as you target more silverware.

A Manchester team has an non-professional veterans team with 9 ex- Premier League footballers in their active lineup.

222 Top Division Goals, 325 International Caps

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

The roster this campaign includes 9 former Premier League footballers, with a collective over 1,800 Premier League appearances.

This elite roster also boasts 222 top division scores and over 320 global caps.

They feature Papiss Cisse, who notched thirty-seven scores in 117 appearances for Newcastle United after joining them for nine million pounds from German league side Freiburg in 2012.

He had his debut for the team in their last home game against defending title holders Collegiate Old Boys and scored all six scores in a six-two win - including a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.

The roster for this campaign also features ex- pros such as England and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley winger George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the former top-flight footballers have secured fifteen significant honors and moved for combined transfer sums of about £123m.

Famous Figures and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland won 6 Republic of Ireland caps, scoring 4 goals

Ireland started playing for the team in preseason this season through good mate and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland midfielder then invited other ex-pros, who all compete in a midweek nine-a-side game, to join in.

Former Senegalese forward Niasse, who scored twelve scores in 65 top-flight matches for the Toffees and still attends their matches at Goodison Park, also made his first appearance against Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and use an Blue training kit as their uniform.

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

"My friend Stephen said 'come and play, it's a laugh'," commented the striker.

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

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

"Those people who come and see are happy and to give a moment if they watch us competing there and to pose us questions - it's really about the joy of us getting somewhere we can play, with structure of course."

Such is the bench strength at the club, Niasse had his debut at full-back.

"That's a bit different but then, I love sprinting and just go inside - I'm not defending that much," he added.

"I tell my centre-back 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to keep attacking.

"The movement is what I'm seeking. It's enjoyable."

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

'Surreal Scenario

In addition to Cisse's 6 goals on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored eight in three appearances for Wythenshawe, while Boyd scored five on his first appearance and Lescott, a defender by trade, scored a hat-trick in one match as a striker.

The team are top of the Top Division with 3 victories from 3 and a goal difference of plus nineteen.

One opponent, 38, who features on the flank for Collegiate OB, came up against former Wigan full-back Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his nine-year-old son who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at two global tournaments for his country, in addition to featuring in over 200 top-flight games.

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

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

"Even Heskey got on and he's has over 60 England appearances.

"We competed well for a good 20 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 mum and sibling on the journey home.

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

"Now we are eager for the return match."

'We'll Still Win the League'

Andy Kirby coaches the opposition veterans side, who secured the Premier Division title last season, along with his co-manager.

"We scored 1-0 up and had a

Karen Robertson
Karen Robertson

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