Meet the Weekend Division Team Featuring Over 1,800 English Top Division Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for Wythenshawe Veterans during a six-two victory against Collegiate Old Boys on 19 October (from left to right) - one player, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you improve a stellar veteran team that have won consecutive championships, including a league-cup double boasting thirty wins from 32 matches?

Sign a raft of former professionals that have competed at the top tier of club and global soccer as you pursue more honors.

A Greater Manchester club boasts an amateur veterans team with 9 former Premier League players in their current roster.

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

The team Veterans Over 35s are based in south Manchester and play in the Cheshire-based Veterans Division Top Division.

The roster this campaign includes 9 former Premier League footballers, with a total nearly 1,800 top-flight games.

The elite team also boasts 222 Premier League scores and over 320 global caps.

They include Papiss Cisse, who notched 37 goals in over 100 games for Newcastle United after signing for them for £9m from German league side Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse made his first appearance for the team in their most recent home match against defending title holders their rivals and netted every one of the six goals in a 6-2 victory - featuring a half-hour first-half hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's squad for this campaign also features ex- pros such as English and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley winger George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the former top-flight footballers have won 15 significant honors and moved for total transfer fees of approximately £123 million.

Famous Names and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned six Irish caps, scoring 4 goals

Stephen Ireland started playing for the side during preseason this season through good friend and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland player then invited other ex-pros, who all play in a weekly nine-a-side match, to participate.

Former Senegalese forward Niasse, who scored 12 scores in sixty-five Premier League matches for Everton and even now goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also made his first appearance versus the opposition - who are located in the city and wear an Blue training kit as their strip.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
He played for the club from 2016 and 2020

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

"After that he told me we were facing a side from the city and the surprise I had when I saw them sporting Blue kits - I thought this is strange for me!

"When you still enjoy football and you feel you can still do it, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?

"The spectators who come and see are pleased and to make a moment if they see us competing there and to ask us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us getting somewhere we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

So great is the squad depth at the club, he had his debut at full-back.

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

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

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

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

Unreal Scenario

Along with the forward's 6 goals on his first game, Ireland has netted 8 in three games for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd hit five on his debut appearance and Lescott, a defender by trade, notched a hat-trick in one game up front.

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

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who plays on the flank for Collegiate OB, faced former Wigan defender Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his nine-year-old boy who Heskey was.

He has played at two global tournaments for his country, in as well as playing in over 200 Premier League matches.

"The news was spreading like a rumor they had these ex-Premier League stars," said Barrow.

"I felt I was a little starstruck facing Figueroa to be honest.

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

"Our side competed well for a solid 20 mins but then we had a player dismissed and it was tough.

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

"The opponents were all friendly, shaking our hands after the match - it was like facing a group of regular guys.

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

'We'll Still Take the Title'

Andy Kirby manages the Collegiate vets team, who won the Top Tier title last season, together with Paul Maguire.

"We went 1-0 ahead and had a

Mark Lopez
Mark Lopez

Elara Vance is a creative director and video producer with over a decade of experience in visual storytelling and digital media production.