Discover the Sunday League Club Boasting Over 1,800 English Top Division Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for Wythenshawe Veterans in a 6-2 win against their opponents on October 19th (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How can you improve a outstanding veteran side that have claimed back-to-back championships, including a league-cup double boasting 30 victories from 32 games?

Sign a collection of former professionals who have performed at the elite level of club and global soccer as you target additional silverware.

One Manchester side fields an amateur veterans team with 9 ex- top-flight footballers in their present lineup.

222 Premier League Goals, 325 Global Caps

Wythenshawe Vets Over 35s are situated in southern the city and compete in the Cheshire-based Veterans Division Premier Division.

Their roster this campaign boasts nine ex- Premier League players, with a combined 1,801 Premier League appearances.

The elite squad also boasts over 220 Premier League scores and over 320 global appearances.

They feature one forward, who notched 37 scores in 117 games for his former club after signing for them for £9m from German league side Freiburg in January 2012.

He had his first appearance for the team in their last home-field game versus defending champions Collegiate Old Boys and netted every one of the six scores in a 6-2 victory - including a half-hour opening period triple.

Wythenshawe's team for this season also includes ex- professionals such as English and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley winger George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former Premier League players have claimed 15 major trophies and transferred for total transfer fees of around £123 million.

Household Figures and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland won 6 Irish caps, netting 4 scores

Ireland began playing for the side in preseason this summer through good mate and current Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish midfielder then invited other former professionals, who all play in a midweek nine-a-side game, to participate.

Ex- Senegalese forward Oumar Niasse, who scored 12 scores in 65 Premier League games for the Toffees and still attends their matches at Goodison Park, also made his first appearance versus the opposition - who are based in the city and use an Blue training kit as their uniform.

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

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

"Then he informed me we were facing a side from the city and the surprise I had when I saw them wearing Everton kits - I thought this is strange for me!

"If you still enjoy football and you feel you can still do it, wherever you can play, what are you going to do?

"The fans who turn up and see are pleased and to give someone's moment if they see us playing there and to pose us questions - it's really about the pleasure of us getting somewhere we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

So great is the squad depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse made his first game at full-back.

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

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is turning out for the team

'Surreal Experience

Along with Cisse's 6 goals on his first game, Ireland has scored 8 in 3 games for the side, while Boyd hit five on his first match and Joleon Lescott, a defender by position, notched a triple in one match as a striker.

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

One opponent, thirty-eight, who features on the wing for the opposition, faced ex- Latics full-back Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his young son who Heskey was.

Figueroa has appeared at 2 global tournaments for Honduras, in addition to featuring in more than two hundred Premier League games.

"The news was going round like a rumor they had all these ex-Premier League players," said Barrow.

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

"Also Heskey got on and he's has over 60 English appearances.

"Our side held our own for a solid twenty minutes but then we had a player dismissed and it was tough.

"We literally have not stopped talking about it - I was phoning my mum and brother on the journey home.

"They were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a group of regular guys.

"Now we are eager for the second fixture."

We Will Still Win the Title'

Andy Kirby coaches the opposition veterans side, who secured the Premier Division championship the previous campaign, along with Paul Maguire.

"We went 1-0 up and had a

Yolanda Moreno
Yolanda Moreno

Elin är en erfaren ekonomijournalist som specialiserar sig på svenska företag och marknadstrender, med bakgrund i finansbranschen.