Discover this Weekend League Squad Featuring 1,800 Premier League Matches

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

What can you improve a stellar experienced side who have secured back-to-back titles, featuring a league-cup double with thirty victories from thirty-two games?

Sign a raft of ex- professionals who have performed at the highest tier of club football and international football as you aim for further honors.

A Manchester side has an amateur vets squad with 9 former top-flight players in their present squad.

222 Premier League Scores, 325 Global Caps

The team Vets Over 35s are based in southern the city and play in the Cheshire Veterans Division Top Division.

Their roster this season includes nine ex- top-flight footballers, with a total 1,801 top-flight appearances.

This elite squad also includes over 220 Premier League goals and 325 global caps.

The squad feature Papiss Cisse, who notched 37 goals in over 100 games for Newcastle United after moving to them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse had his debut for Wythenshawe in their last home match versus defending champions their rivals and scored every one of the six scores in a 6-2 victory - including a half-hour first-half hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's team for this season also includes former professionals such as England and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the former top-flight players have claimed 15 major honors and transferred for total transfer fees of around £123 million.

Famous Figures and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned six Republic of Ireland caps, scoring 4 goals

Stephen Ireland started playing for the team in preseason this summer through good friend and present Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland midfielder then asked other ex-pros, who all play in a midweek nine-a-side game, to join in.

Ex- Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 goals in sixty-five Premier League games for the Toffees and still goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also made his debut against Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and wear an Everton warm-up gear as their uniform.

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

"My friend Stephen said 'come and have a game, it's enjoyable'," commented the striker.

"Then he told me we were facing a side from Liverpool and the shock I had when I saw them wearing Blue shirts - I say this is strange for me!

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

"Those spectators who turn up and see are pleased and to give someone's day if they watch us competing there and to ask us queries - it's really about the joy of us getting somewhere we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

Such is the squad depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse made his debut at defender.

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

"I warn my defender 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to continue attacking.

"That movement is what I'm looking for. It's good fun."

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

Dreamlike' Feeling

Along with the forward's 6 scores on debut, Ireland has scored 8 in 3 appearances for the side, while Boyd scored 5 on his first appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a triple in one match up front.

Wythenshawe are top of the Premier Division with three victories from three and a GD of plus nineteen.

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

Figueroa has appeared at 2 World Cups for his country, in as well as featuring in over two hundred Premier League matches.

"It was going round like a rumor they had these former top-flight players," remarked the player.

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

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

"Our side competed well for a solid 20 mins but then we had a man sent off and it was tough.

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

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

"Now we are eager for the second match."

'We'll Still Take the Title'

The manager manages the Collegiate vets side, who secured the Top Division title last season, together with his co-manager.

"We went one-nil ahead and had a

Miranda Weber
Miranda Weber

A tech futurist and innovation strategist with over a decade of experience in emerging technologies and digital transformation.