Introduce this Weekend League Team Boasting Over 1,800 English Top Division Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for the team Veterans in a 6-2 triumph against their opponents on October 19th (left to right) - one player, Papiss Cisse, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How do you improve a excellent experienced team who have won consecutive championships, featuring a double triumph boasting 30 wins from 32 games?

Bring in a group of former pro players that have played at the elite tier of club and international soccer as you target more honors.

One Greater Manchester team has an amateur veterans team with nine former Premier League players in their present squad.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Scores, Three Hundred Twenty-Five International Caps

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

Their roster this campaign includes 9 ex- top-flight footballers, with a collective nearly 1,800 Premier League matches.

The elite team also boasts 222 Premier League scores and 325 international caps.

They feature one forward, who notched 37 goals in 117 appearances for Newcastle United after moving to them for £9m from Bundesliga club Freiburg in 2012.

He made his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their most recent home match versus reigning title holders Collegiate Old Boys and scored every one of the six scores in a 6-2 victory - including a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.

The squad for this campaign also features former professionals such as England and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the ex- top-flight footballers have secured fifteen major trophies and transferred for total transfer fees of around £123m.

Household Names and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned 6 Republic of Ireland appearances, netting four scores

Stephen Ireland began turning out for the team in pre-season this season through close mate and present team player Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland midfielder then invited other former professionals, who all compete in a weekly nine-a-side game, to participate.

Former Senegalese forward Niasse, who netted twelve goals in 65 Premier League matches for the Toffees and still goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also had his debut against Collegiate OB - who are based in Liverpool and wear an Everton warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

"A mate Stephen said 'join and have a game, it's a laugh'," commented the striker.

"Then he told me we were facing a team from Liverpool and the shock I had when I noticed them sporting Everton kits - I say this is strange for me!

"When you still enjoy football and you feel you can still do it, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to choose?

"The spectators who turn up and watch are happy and to make a day if they see us competing there and to ask us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us having a place we can play, with structure of course."

So great is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse made his first game at full-back.

"That's a little different but then, I enjoy 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.

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is turning out for Wythenshawe

Dreamlike' Scenario

In addition to the forward's six scores on debut, Ireland has netted eight in 3 appearances for Wythenshawe, while Boyd hit five on his first match and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by trade, scored a hat-trick in one game up front.

The team are top of the Top Tier with 3 victories from three and a GD of plus nineteen.

One opponent, 38, who features on the wing for Collegiate OB, came up against ex- Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young boy who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at two global tournaments for Honduras, in as well as featuring in over two hundred Premier League games.

"It was spreading like a rumor they had these former top-flight stars," said Barrow.

"I think I was a little starstruck playing against him to be honest.

"Even Emile [Heskey] got on and he's got over 60 English appearances.

"Our side competed well for a good twenty minutes but then we had a player dismissed and it was hard.

"We really have not ceased chatting about it - I was calling my mum and sibling on the way home.

"The opponents were all really nice, shaking our hands after the game - it was like playing a bunch of normal guys.

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

'We'll Still Take the League'

The manager coaches the Collegiate vets team, who won the Premier Tier championship the previous campaign, along with his co-manager.

"Our team scored 1-0 ahead and had a

Tiffany Burns
Tiffany Burns

Elena Vance is a strategic business consultant with over 15 years of experience in helping companies streamline operations and achieve sustainable growth.