Discover this Weekend Division Club Featuring 1,800 Premier League Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The substitutes for Wythenshawe Vets in a 6-2 victory versus Collegiate Old Boys on 19 October (left to right) - Oumar Niasse, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How do you enhance a stellar experienced team that have won back-to-back titles, featuring a double triumph boasting thirty victories from 32 games?

Bring in a collection of former pro players who have performed at the highest level of club football and international soccer as you target more honors.

One Manchester team boasts an amateur vets squad with nine former top-flight footballers in their present squad.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Scores, 325 International Appearances

The team Vets Over 35s are based in southern Manchester and compete in the Cheshire Veterans League Premier Division.

The roster this campaign boasts 9 ex- Premier League players, with a combined 1,801 Premier League games.

The star-studded roster also contains 222 top division goals and 325 global caps.

They include one forward, who scored 37 goals in 117 games for Newcastle United after moving to them for £9m from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in 2012.

He made his debut for the team in their last home-field game against defending champions Collegiate Old Boys and netted all six goals in a six-two win - including a half-hour opening period triple.

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

Collectively, the ex- top-flight footballers have won 15 significant trophies and transferred for total transfer fees of around £123 million.

Well-Known Figures and International Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned six Republic of Ireland appearances, scoring four scores

Stephen Ireland started turning out for the team in pre-season this season through good mate and current team player Blake Norton, and the former Irish player then asked additional ex-pros, who all play in a midweek small-sided game, to participate.

Ex- Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse, who netted twelve goals in sixty-five top-flight games for the Toffees and still goes to their home games, also had his first appearance against Collegiate OB - who are located in Liverpool and use an Blue training kit as their strip.

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

"My friend Stephen Ireland told me 'come and have a game, it's a laugh'," commented Niasse.

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

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

"The fans who turn up and watch are happy and to make a day if they see us playing there and to ask us queries - it's really about the joy of us having somewhere we can play, with structure of course."

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

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

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

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa is playing for the team

Unreal Scenario

Along with Cisse's 6 goals on his first game, Ireland has netted 8 in three appearances for the side, while George Boyd scored 5 on his debut match and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a triple in one match up front.

Wythenshawe are top of the Premier Tier with three victories from three and a goal difference of plus nineteen.

One opponent, thirty-eight, who features on the wing for Collegiate OB, faced former Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young boy who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at two World Cups for his country, in as well as playing in more than 200 top-flight matches.

"It was going round like wildfire they had all these ex-Premier League players," remarked the player.

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

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

"We competed well for a good twenty mins but then we had a player sent off and it was hard.

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

"They were all friendly, shaking our hands after the game - it was like playing a bunch of normal fellas.

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

We Will Still Take the Title'

Andy Kirby coaches the opposition vets team, who won the Premier Tier title the previous campaign, together with Paul Maguire.

"We scored 1-0 ahead and had a

Kimberly Roth
Kimberly Roth

Maya Chen is a former sports analyst turned betting strategist, specializing in data-driven predictions for football and basketball markets.