Introduce the Sunday Division Team Boasting Nearly Two Thousand English Top Division Games

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

How can you improve a outstanding experienced team that have secured consecutive titles, including a double triumph with thirty wins from thirty-two games?

Bring in a raft of former professionals that have performed at the elite tier of club football and international soccer as you pursue further trophies.

A Manchester side has an amateur veterans team with 9 ex- top-flight players in their current lineup.

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

Wythenshawe Vets Over-35s are based in south the city and compete in the Cheshire Vets Division Top Division.

The roster this season includes 9 former top-flight players, with a total nearly 1,800 elite matches.

The star-studded roster also includes over 220 Premier League scores and over 320 global caps.

The squad feature Papiss Cisse, who notched 37 goals in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after joining them for nine million pounds from German league club SC Freiburg in 2012.

He made his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their most recent home game against reigning title holders their rivals and scored every one of the six scores in a six-two victory - including a 32-minute opening period hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's squad for this campaign also features former pros such as English and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former top-flight footballers have claimed fifteen major trophies and moved for total transfer sums of about £123 million.

Famous Names and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned six Irish caps, netting 4 scores

Stephen Ireland started turning out for the side during preseason this summer through good friend and present Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish player then invited additional ex-pros, who all compete in a midweek small-sided game, to join in.

Former Senegal forward Oumar Niasse, who netted twelve scores in sixty-five top-flight games for the Toffees and even now goes to their home games, also made his debut versus Collegiate OB - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Blue training kit as their uniform.

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

"A mate Stephen said 'join and have a game, it's good fun'," commented Niasse.

"Then he told me we were facing a side from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I noticed them wearing Everton shirts - I thought this is wrong for me!

"If you still love football and you know you can still do it, anywhere you can play, what are you going to do?

"The people who turn up and watch are pleased and to give someone's moment if they watch us playing there and to ask us queries - it's really about the joy of us getting a place we can play, with organisation of course."

Such is the bench strength at Wythenshawe, he had his debut at defender.

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

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

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

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

Dreamlike' Feeling

Along with the forward's 6 scores on his first game, Stephen Ireland has scored eight in three games for the side, while Boyd hit five on his first appearance and Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a triple in one game as a striker.

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

One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the flank for Collegiate OB, faced former Wigan full-back Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young son who Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at 2 World Cups for his country, in addition to featuring in over two hundred top-flight games.

"It was spreading like wildfire they had all these former top-flight stars," said Barrow.

"I think I was a little awestruck facing Figueroa to be honest.

"Even Heskey came on and he's got over 60 English appearances.

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

"We really have not stopped chatting about it - I was phoning my mum and sibling on the journey home.

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

"Now we are eager for the second match."

We Will Still Take the Title'

Andy Kirby coaches the Collegiate veterans team, who won the Premier Division championship the previous campaign, along with his co-manager.

"Our team scored 1-0 up and had a

Troy Cunningham
Troy Cunningham

A tech journalist and digital strategist with over a decade of experience covering emerging technologies and software trends.