Introduce the Weekend Division Club With 1,800 English Top Division Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for Wythenshawe Veterans during a 6-2 win 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 outstanding experienced side that have won back-to-back titles, including a league-cup double boasting 30 victories from 32 matches?

Recruit a group of former pro players who have performed at the top level of club and global soccer as you pursue additional trophies.

A Manchester club boasts an amateur veterans team with nine ex- top-flight footballers in their present roster.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Goals, 325 International Caps

Wythenshawe Vets Over-35s are located in south the city and play in the Cheshire-based Veterans Division Top Tier.

The roster this season includes nine ex- top-flight footballers, with a total 1,801 elite games.

This star-studded roster also boasts 222 top division scores and over 320 international appearances.

The squad include one forward, who scored thirty-seven goals in 117 games for his former club after moving to them for nine million pounds from German league side SC Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse made his debut for the team in their most recent home-field game versus reigning champions Collegiate Old Boys and netted all six scores in a 6-2 win - including a half-hour first-half hat-trick.

The team for this season also includes former pros such as England and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the ex- Premier League players have claimed fifteen significant trophies and moved for combined transfer fees of around £123m.

Household Names and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland won six Republic of Ireland appearances, netting 4 scores

Ireland started playing for the side during pre-season this season through good friend and present Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then invited other ex-pros, who all play in a midweek small-sided match, to participate.

Ex- Senegalese forward Niasse, who scored twelve scores in 65 top-flight games for Everton and even now goes to their home games, also made his debut against Collegiate OB - who are based in Liverpool and use an Everton warm-up gear as their uniform.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
He played for the club between 2016 and 2020

"My friend Stephen Ireland told me 'come and have a game, it's good fun'," commented Niasse.

"After that he informed me we were facing a team from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I saw them wearing Blue kits - I thought this is strange for me!

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

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

So great is the bench strength at Wythenshawe, Niasse had his debut at full-back.

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

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

"The movement is what I'm after. It's good fun."

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

Dreamlike' Scenario

In addition to Cisse's 6 goals on his first game, Stephen Ireland has scored eight in 3 games for the side, while Boyd scored 5 on his debut appearance and Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a hat-trick in one game as a striker.

The team are leading of the Premier Division with three wins from 3 and a GD of plus nineteen.

One opponent, 38, who features on the wing for the opposition, faced former Latics defender Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young son who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at 2 global tournaments for his country, in addition to featuring in over 200 top-flight games.

"The news was spreading like a rumor they had these ex-Premier League stars," remarked Barrow.

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

"Even Heskey got on and he's has 60-odd England caps.

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

"Our group literally have not ceased talking about it - I was phoning my mum and sibling on the way home.

"They were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the game - it was like playing a group of regular guys.

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

We Will Still Win the Title'

The manager coaches the Collegiate vets team, who won the Top Division championship last season, together with his co-manager.

"We went one-nil ahead and had a

Kim Hughes
Kim Hughes

Elara Vance is a senior industrial engineer with over 15 years of experience in automation systems and sustainable manufacturing practices.