Meet this Weekend League Squad Featuring 1,800 Premier League Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This substitutes for the team Vets in a 6-2 victory versus their opponents on 19 October (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How do you boost a excellent experienced team who have claimed back-to-back championships, including a double triumph with 30 victories from thirty-two games?

Recruit a collection of former professionals who have played at the highest level of club and global football as you pursue more trophies.

One Greater Manchester team has an amateur vets squad with nine ex- top-flight players in their current lineup.

222 Premier League Scores, 325 Global Caps

Wythenshawe Vets Over-35s are based in southern Manchester and compete in the Cheshire-based Veterans League Top Tier.

Their lineup this season includes nine ex- top-flight players, with a total nearly 1,800 Premier League appearances.

This high-profile team also includes 222 top division goals and 325 international caps.

The squad include one forward, who scored 37 goals in 117 appearances for Newcastle United after moving to them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga club SC Freiburg in January 2012.

He made his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their last home-field match versus defending title holders their rivals and netted every one of the six goals in a six-two win - featuring a half-hour opening period triple.

Wythenshawe's roster for this season also includes former pros such as England and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the ex- top-flight footballers have claimed fifteen big honors and transferred for total transfer fees of about £123m.

Household Figures and International Stars

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

Stephen Ireland started playing for the team in preseason this summer through close mate and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then invited other ex-pros, who all compete in a midweek nine-a-side match, to participate.

Former Senegalese forward Oumar Niasse, who scored twelve goals in sixty-five Premier League matches for Everton and even now attends their home games, also made his debut against the opposition - who are based in the city and wear an Everton training kit as their uniform.

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

"A friend Stephen said 'come and play, it's a laugh'," commented Niasse.

"After that he informed me we were playing a side from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I noticed them sporting Blue shirts - I thought this is wrong for me!

"If you still enjoy football and you know you can still do it, anywhere you can kick a ball, what are you going to choose?

"Those fans who come and watch are happy and to give someone's moment if they watch us playing there and to ask us questions - it's really about the joy of us having somewhere we can play, with structure of course."

Such is the squad depth at the club, Niasse made his first game at defender.

"It's a little different but then, I enjoy running and just move forward - I'm not staying back that much," he added.

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

"That running is what I'm seeking. It's good fun."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa is turning out for the team

'Surreal Feeling

In addition to Cisse's six scores on his first game, Stephen Ireland has scored 8 in three games for the side, while George Boyd scored 5 on his debut match and Joleon Lescott, a defender by trade, scored a hat-trick in one game as a striker.

Wythenshawe are top of the Top Division with three victories from 3 and a GD of +19.

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who features on the wing for Collegiate OB, came up against ex- Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his nine-year-old son who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at 2 World Cups for his country, in addition to playing in more than 200 top-flight matches.

"It was going round like wildfire they had all these ex-Premier League players," said Barrow.

"I felt I was a bit starstruck playing against Figueroa to be honest.

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

"We competed well for a solid twenty minutes but then we had a man sent off and it was tough.

"Our group really haven't stopped talking about it - I was calling my mother and brother on the journey home.

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

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

We Will Still Win the Title'

The manager manages the opposition vets side, who secured the Top Division title the previous campaign, together with Paul Maguire.

"We went one-nil up and had a

Brandon Fisher
Brandon Fisher

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