Introduce this Weekend League Team Featuring Nearly Two Thousand Premier League Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This substitutes for Wythenshawe Vets in a six-two triumph against their opponents on October 19th (left to right) - one player, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you boost a outstanding veteran side who have claimed back-to-back titles, featuring a league-cup double with 30 wins from thirty-two matches?

Bring in a collection of ex- professionals that have competed at the top tier of club football and global soccer as you pursue more honors.

A Greater Manchester side fields an non-professional veterans team with nine ex- top-flight players in their current squad.

222 Top Division Scores, Three Hundred Twenty-Five Global Caps

The team Vets Over-35s are located in south Manchester and compete in the Cheshire Vets League Top Division.

The squad list this season includes nine ex- Premier League players, with a total nearly 1,800 Premier League matches.

The star-studded team also contains over 220 top division goals and over 320 international caps.

The squad include Papiss Cisse, who netted 37 scores in over 100 appearances for his former club after signing for them for £9m from German league side Freiburg in January 2012.

He made his debut for the team in their most recent home match against defending champions Collegiate Old Boys and scored all six goals in a six-two victory - including a half-hour first-half triple.

Wythenshawe's squad for this campaign also includes former professionals such as England and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the ex- Premier League footballers have won 15 big honors and moved for combined transfer sums of about £123m.

Household Names and International Stars

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

Ireland began turning out for the side during preseason this season through close friend and current team teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland midfielder then asked additional former professionals, who all play in a midweek nine-a-side game, to participate.

Ex- Senegalese striker Niasse, who scored twelve goals in sixty-five Premier League matches for the Toffees and even now goes to their home games, also had his first appearance versus the opposition - who are located in the city and use an Everton training kit as their strip.

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

"My friend Stephen Ireland said 'join and play, it's enjoyable'," commented Niasse.

"After that he informed me we were facing a side from the city and the shock I had when I noticed them wearing Everton kits - I thought this is strange for me!

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

"Those spectators who come and see are happy and to make someone's moment if they watch us competing there and to pose us queries - it's more like the pleasure of us having somewhere we can enjoy football, with structure of course."

Such is the bench strength at Wythenshawe, Niasse made his debut at defender.

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

"I warn my defender 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to keep running.

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa is turning out for Wythenshawe

Unreal Feeling

Along with Cisse's 6 scores on debut, Stephen Ireland has netted eight in three appearances for the side, while George Boyd scored five on his debut match and Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a triple in one match as a striker.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Top Tier with 3 wins from three and a GD of plus nineteen.

One opponent, 38, who features on the wing for the opposition, came up against ex- Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his nine-year-old son who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at 2 World Cups for Honduras, in addition to playing in more than two hundred top-flight matches.

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

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

"Also Heskey came on and he's has 60-odd England caps.

"Our side competed well for a good 20 minutes but then we had a player dismissed and it was tough.

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

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

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

We Will Still Take the Title'

Andy Kirby coaches the Collegiate vets team, who secured the Premier Division title last season, together with his co-manager.

"We scored 1-0 ahead and had a

Benjamin Ford
Benjamin Ford

Elise is a passionate blogger and product enthusiast from Amsterdam, exploring unique trends and sharing honest reviews.