Introduce this Weekend Division Squad Featuring Nearly Two Thousand English Top Division Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for the team Veterans during a six-two win against Collegiate Old Boys on 19 October (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you boost a outstanding veteran team who have secured consecutive titles, including a double triumph with 30 wins from 32 matches?

Bring in a raft of former pro players who have played at the highest tier of club football and global soccer as you aim for more honors.

A Greater Manchester team fields an amateur veterans squad with nine former top-flight players in their active lineup.

222 Top Division Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five Global Appearances

The team Vets Over 35s are located in south Manchester and compete in the Cheshire Veterans Division Premier Tier.

Their roster this season features 9 former Premier League footballers, with a collective over 1,800 top-flight appearances.

This elite roster also contains over 220 top division scores and 325 international appearances.

The squad include one forward, who scored thirty-seven goals in over 100 games for his former club after signing for them for nine million pounds from German league club SC Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse had his debut for the team in their most recent home-field game against defending title holders Collegiate Old Boys and scored all six scores in a six-two win - including a half-hour opening period hat-trick.

The team for this campaign also includes ex- professionals such as English and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former Premier League players have claimed fifteen big trophies and moved for combined transfer sums of about £123m.

Famous Figures and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He won six Irish appearances, netting 4 goals

Ireland began turning out for the side during pre-season this season through close friend and current team player Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish midfielder then invited additional ex-pros, who all compete in a midweek small-sided match, to participate.

Ex- Senegal forward Niasse, who scored twelve goals in sixty-five Premier League matches for Everton and still attends their home games, also had his debut against the opposition - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Blue training kit as their uniform.

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

"A mate Stephen told me 'come and play, it's enjoyable'," commented the striker.

"Then he informed me we were facing a team from the city and the surprise I had when I noticed them wearing Blue kits - I say this is strange for me!

"When you still enjoy football and you feel you can still play, anywhere you can kick a ball, what are you going to choose?

"The spectators who turn up and see are pleased and to give a moment if they watch us playing there and to pose us queries - it's more like the joy of us having somewhere we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

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

"It's a bit different but then, I love sprinting and just move inside - I'm not staying back that much," he added.

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is playing for Wythenshawe

Dreamlike' Scenario

In addition to Cisse's six scores on debut, Ireland has netted eight in 3 appearances for Wythenshawe, while Boyd hit 5 on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a defender by position, scored a triple in one game up front.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Premier Tier with 3 wins from three and a goal difference of +19.

One opponent, thirty-eight, who features on the wing for Collegiate OB, came up against former Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his young boy who Heskey was.

He has played at 2 global tournaments for his country, in addition to playing in over 200 Premier League matches.

"The news was going round like wildfire they had all these former top-flight stars," remarked the player.

"I felt I was a bit starstruck facing him to be honest.

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

"We competed well for a solid 20 minutes but then we had a man dismissed and it was tough.

"Our group really haven't ceased talking about it - I was phoning my mum and sibling on the journey home.

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

"Now we are eager for the second fixture."

'We'll Still Win the Title'

Andy Kirby manages the Collegiate veterans side, who won the Top Tier title the previous campaign, along with Paul Maguire.

"We went 1-0 up and had a

Destiny Thompson
Destiny Thompson

A passionate gaming journalist with over a decade of experience covering console and PC titles, specializing in indie game analysis and industry trends.